Dick Dull
Encyclopedia
Richard "Dick" Dull is an American former athletic director
and athlete. He served as the athletic director of the University of Maryland
from 1981 to 1986, including during the death of Len Bias
, which prompted Dull's resignation. He has also been athletic director at the University of Nebraska at Kearney
, Moravian College
, California State University, Northridge
, and Belmont Abbey College
.
, where he played basketball and competed in track and field in the javelin throw
event. As a sophomore, he won the state championship. He suffered a serious injury to his elbow ligament, but recovered and finished as a runner-up in the state championship during his senior year in 1963. As of 2008, he still held the school's record at 198 feet and 6 inches.
Dull attended college at the University of Maryland
, where he continued competing in the javelin throw at the intercollegiate level. As a senior in 1966, he won the Atlantic Coast Conference
championship in the event at 223 feet and 3.5 inches. That year, he also placed in the top-ten in the NCAA event.
. In January 1982, Dull hired Bobby Ross
to succeed Jerry Claiborne
as the school's head football coach. The hire was somewhat surprising as Ross, then an assistant coach for the Kansas City Chiefs
, was not a high-profile coach. Ross described himself as a "no name". Nevertheless, Maryland had great success under Ross, and quarterback Boomer Esiason
excelled in his pro-style offense.
During Dull's tenure, the Maryland football
and men's basketball team
s both secured ACC championships, and the women's basketball team
advanced to the Final Four. Dull was serving as athletic director when Maryland basketball star Len Bias
died from a cocaine
-induced heart attack in 1986. He resigned his post on November 4 citing the incident. He agreed to remain on the staff for one year as an athletic and policy advisor.
called Dull "one of the rising stars" in his profession at the time of the incident. Dull later said, "I survived it. No one can ever bring Len Bias back, and that I regret. He was a wonderful young man." In 1987, the University of Texas at El Paso
offered Dull a job as its athletic director, but he eventually declined the offer. In the decade following Bias' death, Dull worked in real estate, consulting, and lived off of his savings. In two years during that period, he earned less than $7,500, which was less than required to file an income tax return. He said, "I could not get a job interview (in athletics) for 10 years."
In 1996, he was a candidate for athletic director at Radford University
. That year, he was hired as the athletic director at the University of Nebraska at Kearney
, a Division II school. In 1999 while the athletic director at Moravian College
, he was hired by California State University, Northridge
, his first Division I athletic director job since Maryland. The hiring was controversial, and some members of the university's advisory board demanded it be reviewed and overturned. In 2001, Northridge dropped its football program on Dull's recommendation to the Board of Trustees. He stepped down in 2005.
Dull eventually retired, but returned to his work as the athletic director of Belmont Abbey College
in June 2007. In 2008, he establish an athletic hall of fame at the school. In August 2009, Dull resigned from Belmont Abbey with a statement that he had been hired for a transition to a full-time athletic director and that the transition period had elapsed.
Athletic director
An athletic director is an administrator at many American colleges and universities, as well as in larger high schools and middle schools, who oversees the work of coaches and related staff involved in intercollegiate or interscholastic athletic programs...
and athlete. He served as the athletic director of the University of Maryland
University of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
from 1981 to 1986, including during the death of Len Bias
Len Bias
Leonard Kevin "Len" Bias was a first team All-American college basketball player at the University of Maryland. He was selected by the Boston Celtics as the second overall pick in the 1986 NBA Draft on June 17, but died two days later from cardiac arrhythmia induced by a cocaine overdose...
, which prompted Dull's resignation. He has also been athletic director at the University of Nebraska at Kearney
University of Nebraska at Kearney
The University of Nebraska at Kearney , founded in 1905 as the Nebraska State Normal School at Kearney, is the Kearney, Nebraska, United States campus of the University of Nebraska system.-History:...
, Moravian College
Moravian College
Moravian College a private liberal arts college, and the associated Moravian Theological Seminary are located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, United States, in the Lehigh Valley region.-History:...
, California State University, Northridge
California State University, Northridge
California State University, Northridge is a public university in Northridge, a neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles, California, United States....
, and Belmont Abbey College
Belmont Abbey College
Belmont Abbey College is a private liberal-arts Catholic college located in Belmont, North Carolina, USA west of Uptown Charlotte. It was founded in 1876 by the Benedictine monks of Belmont Abbey...
.
Early life and college
Dull attended Biglerville High School in Biglerville, PennsylvaniaBiglerville, Pennsylvania
Biglerville is a borough in Adams County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,200 at the 2010 census. The National Apple Museum is located on West Hanover St...
, where he played basketball and competed in track and field in the javelin throw
Javelin throw
The javelin throw is a track and field athletics throwing event where the object to be thrown is the javelin, a spear approximately 2.5 metres in length. Javelin is an event of both the men's decathlon and the women's heptathlon...
event. As a sophomore, he won the state championship. He suffered a serious injury to his elbow ligament, but recovered and finished as a runner-up in the state championship during his senior year in 1963. As of 2008, he still held the school's record at 198 feet and 6 inches.
Dull attended college at the University of Maryland
University of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
, where he continued competing in the javelin throw at the intercollegiate level. As a senior in 1966, he won the Atlantic Coast Conference
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
championship in the event at 223 feet and 3.5 inches. That year, he also placed in the top-ten in the NCAA event.
Maryland
After receiving a law degree, he took a pay cut from $22,000 to $8,500 and became an assistant ticket manager at his alma mater. He rose through the ranks of the Maryland athletic department and became athletic director in 1981, succeeding Jim KehoeJim Kehoe
James Henry Kehoe, Jr. was an American athletics coach and university administrator. He served as the athletic director at the University of Maryland from 1969 to 1978, during which time he was responsible for the hiring of future Hall of Fame coaches Lefty Driesell, Jerry Claiborne, Bud...
. In January 1982, Dull hired Bobby Ross
Bobby Ross
Robert Joseph Ross is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at The Citadel , the University of Maryland, College Park , the Georgia Institute of Technology , and the United States Military Academy , compiling a career college football record of 103–101–2...
to succeed Jerry Claiborne
Jerry Claiborne
Jerry Claiborne was an American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at Virginia Tech , the University of Maryland, College Park , and his alma mater, the University of Kentucky , compiling a career college football record of 179–122–8...
as the school's head football coach. The hire was somewhat surprising as Ross, then an assistant coach for the Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
, was not a high-profile coach. Ross described himself as a "no name". Nevertheless, Maryland had great success under Ross, and quarterback Boomer Esiason
Boomer Esiason
Norman Julius "Boomer" Esiason is a former American football quarterback and current network color commentator. He played for the National Football League's Cincinnati Bengals, New York Jets, and Arizona Cardinals before working as an analyst for ABC and HBO...
excelled in his pro-style offense.
During Dull's tenure, the Maryland football
Maryland Terrapins football
The Maryland Terrapins football team represents the University of Maryland in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision competition. The Terrapins compete within the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
and men's basketball team
Maryland Terrapins men's basketball
The Maryland Terrapins men's basketball team represents the University of Maryland in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I competition...
s both secured ACC championships, and the women's basketball team
Maryland Terrapins women's basketball
The University of Maryland women's basketball team has been a prominent program in the history of women's basketball. As a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference, the Lady Terrapins have been regular season and tournament champions on numerous occasions. They were struggling with a losing record...
advanced to the Final Four. Dull was serving as athletic director when Maryland basketball star Len Bias
Len Bias
Leonard Kevin "Len" Bias was a first team All-American college basketball player at the University of Maryland. He was selected by the Boston Celtics as the second overall pick in the 1986 NBA Draft on June 17, but died two days later from cardiac arrhythmia induced by a cocaine overdose...
died from a cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
-induced heart attack in 1986. He resigned his post on November 4 citing the incident. He agreed to remain on the staff for one year as an athletic and policy advisor.
After Maryland
Bias' death and the controversy it created affected Dull. The Baltimore SunThe Baltimore Sun
The Baltimore Sun is the U.S. state of Maryland’s largest general circulation daily newspaper and provides coverage of local and regional news, events, issues, people, and industries....
called Dull "one of the rising stars" in his profession at the time of the incident. Dull later said, "I survived it. No one can ever bring Len Bias back, and that I regret. He was a wonderful young man." In 1987, the University of Texas at El Paso
University of Texas at El Paso
The University of Texas at El Paso is a four-year state university, and is a component institution of the University of Texas System. Its campus is located on the bank of the Rio Grande in El Paso, Texas. The school was founded in 1914 as The Texas State School of Mines and Metallurgy,...
offered Dull a job as its athletic director, but he eventually declined the offer. In the decade following Bias' death, Dull worked in real estate, consulting, and lived off of his savings. In two years during that period, he earned less than $7,500, which was less than required to file an income tax return. He said, "I could not get a job interview (in athletics) for 10 years."
In 1996, he was a candidate for athletic director at Radford University
Radford University
Radford University is one of Virginia's eight doctoral-degree granting public universities. Originally founded in 1910, Radford offers comprehensive curricula for undergraduates in more than 100 fields, and graduate programs including the M.F.A., M.B.A...
. That year, he was hired as the athletic director at the University of Nebraska at Kearney
University of Nebraska at Kearney
The University of Nebraska at Kearney , founded in 1905 as the Nebraska State Normal School at Kearney, is the Kearney, Nebraska, United States campus of the University of Nebraska system.-History:...
, a Division II school. In 1999 while the athletic director at Moravian College
Moravian College
Moravian College a private liberal arts college, and the associated Moravian Theological Seminary are located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, United States, in the Lehigh Valley region.-History:...
, he was hired by California State University, Northridge
California State University, Northridge
California State University, Northridge is a public university in Northridge, a neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles, California, United States....
, his first Division I athletic director job since Maryland. The hiring was controversial, and some members of the university's advisory board demanded it be reviewed and overturned. In 2001, Northridge dropped its football program on Dull's recommendation to the Board of Trustees. He stepped down in 2005.
Dull eventually retired, but returned to his work as the athletic director of Belmont Abbey College
Belmont Abbey College
Belmont Abbey College is a private liberal-arts Catholic college located in Belmont, North Carolina, USA west of Uptown Charlotte. It was founded in 1876 by the Benedictine monks of Belmont Abbey...
in June 2007. In 2008, he establish an athletic hall of fame at the school. In August 2009, Dull resigned from Belmont Abbey with a statement that he had been hired for a transition to a full-time athletic director and that the transition period had elapsed.