Handel Named Gopher Associate Athletic Director For Development

University of Minnesota director of athletics Norwood Teague announced today that Randy Handel has been promoted to associate athletic director for development. Handel had been serving as the interim associate athletic director for development since October 2012.

Handel will manage the day-to-day development operations in the Golden Gopher Fund which includes all fundraising activity with capital campaigns, the annual fund, endowments, planned giving and the department’s premium services and events.

“In my opinion, you will not find a kinder and more consummate development professional then Randy Handel,” said executive associate athletic director David Benedict, who will oversee Handel and his staff. “Randy possesses a unique skill set that is a perfect fit for this position.”

Handel joined Minnesota in June 2010 as a major gift development officer and led capital campaigns for the new Siebert Field and for the proposed new basketball development center. In addition he championed the growth of athletic endowment and served as an adjunct faculty member teaching “Sport Sales and Fundraising.”

Prior to coming to Minnesota, Handel was the vice president and chief operating officer at McGann Construction, Inc., in Madison, Wis., for 10 years. There he was charged with developing new business, marketing and supervision of office operations, corporate strategic planning and employee performance reviews for company with $28 million in annual business.

From 1996-2000, Handel was the senior director of athletic development at for the University of Wisconsin Foundation. While at Wisconsin, he was a major gift officer for athletics and focused on capital campaigns that resulted in the Kohl Center, the Robert and Irwin Goodman Softball Complex and the Porter Boathouse.

Handel, who has coached basketball at the collegiate and high school level, graduated from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse in 1979 with degrees in health and physical education. He also holds a master’s degree in physical education from Colorado State (1980) and a doctorate in educational administration from the University of Wisconsin (1993).