Charlie Cobb, former athletic director at Appalachian State has been named to the same position at Georgia State.
Cobb spent the last 10 years as AD at Appalachian State in which he oversaw its transition from the FCS level into the Sun Belt Conference, which they will debut in for the 2014 season.
He replaces Cheryl Levick who was Georgia State’s athletic director from 2009 to 2014. She stepped down due to health concerns and is now a special assistant to university president Mark Becker. In the interim period, Brandon Parthasarathy served as AD.
In the university’s official press release, Becker described Cobb as a “proven program builder and winner” and he’s looking forward to working with him in increasing the university’s athletic profile in both Atlanta and the Sun Belt Conference.
According to the athletics department, Cobb will have a base salary of $300,000 with incentives for academic and athletic achievements. His contract is for five years with an option for an additional two years.
He was among a list of finalists that, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, included Southern Illinois’ Mario Moccia and Missouri’s Deputy AD Doug Gillin.
Cobb served in various high-ranking positions in Atlanta sports throughout the 1990s. He was once an assistant executive director for the Atlanta Sports Council and the Peach Bowl. He also coordinated on the city’s bid for the 2002 NCAA men’s Final Four and handled event operations at the Peach Bowl.
From 1994 to 1997, he was a sales manager at the Georgia Dome and assisted in luring major sporting events to Atlanta, including the SEC football championship and the ACC men’s basketball championship. He also was around during the 1996 Olympics, which an article on Appalachian State’s website once described as his favorite sports moment.
During his tenure at Appalachian State, he also presided over an estimated $50 million in athletic investments, including renovations to its football facility, Kidd Brewer Stadium. An additional seven-story, 120,000 square foot Appalachian Athletics Center was also completed in 2009 near Kidd Brewer Stadium.
Georgia State is in the throes of a similar process with proposed investments in athletic facilities. These include the planned renovation of the Sports Arena to include new practice courts for the basketball and volleyball teams, and the university’s $300 million proposal to purchase the land from the City of Atlanta that currently houses Turner Field.
Mayor Kasim Reed has asked the Atlanta Braves for notice on if they will extend their lease that expires after 2016 or if they will move into a new stadium and entertainment complex in Cobb County in 2017.
Appalachian State could not be reached for comment. North Carolina State, of which Cobb is an alum and served as associate athletic director from 1998 to 2005, also could not be reached for comment.
A press conference at 10 a.m. Friday has been scheduled at Centennial Hall on 100 Auburn Ave. The event is open to the public.
