The University of Oregon’s Board of Trustees appointed an interim president at its meeting Tuesday morning.
UO Provost and Senior Vice President Patrick Phillips will serve as the university’s leader for now, after president Michael Schill announced his departure last week, after leading the university the last seven years. Schill is leaving UO to become Northwestern University’s president.
University of Oregon trustees named Provost and Senior Vice President Patrick Phillips as interim leader Tuesday, Aug. 16, 2022, after president Michael Schill announced his departure last week to head up Northwestern University.
Elizabeth Gabriel / KLCC / AP
“Patrick is well-positioned to ensure the university doesn’t skip a beat in the coming academic year,” UO Board Chair Ginevra Ralph said Tuesday.
According to board documents, Schill’s resignation is effective at the end of the day on Friday. Phillips will officially step into the interim presidency Saturday at midnight.
Schill will serve as an advisor to Phillips until Sept. 11 — 30 days after he gave his resignation.
“This is a bittersweet moment for me,” Schill said. “This job has been so much more than a job for me. It’s been a personal joy, and it’s been an incredible professional experience also.”
The board will discuss the search process and timeline to hire UO’s next permanent president at its September meeting.
“I could not be more firmly committed to this role as interim president, and I will invest all my energy to help define how we can best serve our broader role as a university in the state that is completely authentic to the University of Oregon,” Phillips said.
Extended contracts and more money for top UO athletics staff
Also in Tuesday morning’s meeting the board amended contracts for two of UO’s top athletic staff — the university’s athletic director and its men’s basketball coach. The UO Board had to approve the contract amendments as both contracts exceed $5 million.
The board agreed to extend UO Athletic Director Rob Mullens’ contract until 2030, adding five years to his existing contract.
“Given the unprecedented turbulence in intercollegiate athletics given the changes in name, image and likeness; transfer portal; conference realignment, these forces all over the nation, I began right during the Pac 12 basketball tournament… to extend Rob Mullens’ contract,” Schill said.
Oregon players celebrate the win over St. Joseph's with Head Coach Dana Altman (right) after the second round of the 2016 NCAA Tournament in Spokane. Altman's contract was extended through 2028 season by the UO board of trustees, Aug. 16 2022.
Chris Pietsch / The Register-Guard
With the new contract terms, Mullens’ base salary will increase from about $830,000 up to $980,000. The amended and extended contract also lays out annual retention payments of at least $300,000 per year.
According to board documents, Mullens’ updated salary will be 11th in the nation and third in the Pac 12.
The board also approved a contract extension for the head coach of the men’s basketball team, Dana Altman. Altman has coached the Ducks for 12 seasons, with a record of 300-125.
The UO Board approved extending Altman’s current contract for an extra year — lasting now until 2028.
That extension will add one more year of a $4 million salary for Altman, the same rate as the final year of Altman’s current contract. He’ll also see a retention payment of $350,000 in the final year of his extended contract — a $100,000 increase from the final year in his current contract.
Those changes to Altman’s contract will rank his salary second in the Pac 12, according to Athletic Director Mullens.
Related: University of Oregon president departing for Northwestern University