Keith Hackett has been named the new athletic director at Alaska-Anchorage.
Hackett replaces Steve Cobb, who was fired in May.
A university and administrative management executive with 36 years of higher education experience, Hackett comes to the Seawolves after working the past nine years as the senior associate AD for internal affairs at the University of Nevada, where he oversaw the football, track and field, cross country and baseball programs.
“I am both honored and humbled to be the choice of the UAA athletic director search committee and look forward to meeting our student-athletes, coaches, staff and the entire Anchorage community,” Hackett said in a statement. “Our highest priority will always be the safety, health and well-being of our student-athletes. We have excellent coaches and programs and I look forward to assisting them in their quest for excellence in the classroom and on the field of play.”
Hackett has also served as executive vice president for special projects and was director of the St. Gregory’s University College for Working Adults in Tulsa, Okla. He also served as executive VP and provost at St. Gregory’s University in Shawnee, Okla., and as VP for admissions and enrollment management/dean of admissions for law, graduate and undergraduate admissions at Oklahoma City University. He worked at OCU as dean of students.
In addition, Hackett was the associate AD at Northern Illinois and began his college coaching and teaching career at Baker University in Baldwin, Kan., where he was head baseball coach from 1978-83 and assistant football coach from 1977-83. From there, he went on to coach the offensive line for the football program at Memphis.
Hackett earned his bachelor’s degree in physical education from Tarkio (Mo.) College in 1976 and an MS in education from Kansas in 1979.
