The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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40 ■ THE WOLFPACKER BY MATT CARTER hen the call came from NC State about its open posi- tion for executive director of the Wolfpack Club, Ben Broussard did not hesitate to field it. Broussard is a rising star in the collegiate athletics fundraising world. He has been the assistant vice chancellor of advancement and senior associate athletics director at the University of Colorado since October 2017, spearheading the athletics department's fun- draising organization, the Buff Club. Prior to that, he had worked his way up to vice president for development in the Tiger Athletic Foundation at his alma mater, LSU. Broussard's successes in fundraising are immense. He had record-level efforts in his stint at Colorado, starting with a 17 percent increase in dollars raised in his first year. That was topped by a school-record $26 million haul in his second year. The five largest gifts in school history all occurred while Broussard was in Boulder. This coming year, he will be the presi- dent of the National Association of Athletic Development Directors (NAADD). It is the same position that the Wolfpack Club's out- going executive director, Bobby Purcell, held in 2004-05. Through that association, Broussard and Purcell have become friends. "Everybody knows who Bobby Purcell is," Broussard added. "He's larger than life in our industry. "He's always had fantastic things to say about NC State and Raleigh and the people of the state of North Carolina. When they called me and initially asked if I'd be inter- ested, that's why I took the call." Broussard and his wife, the former Dana Russo, conferred about living in Raleigh and quickly discovered the advantages of making the potential move to North Caro- lina after talking with a pair of cousins that lived the Raleigh area. They learned that it was a perfect fit for their children — sons Jude and Evan, and daughter Evie. "Everybody said the same thing: it's a great place to raise a family, has fantastic sports and the geography of the state of North Carolina is second to none," Brous- sard noted. "Let's be honest, the weather is a little bit warmer in North Carolina than it is in Colorado." With his wife on board and the excite- ment of building on the work of Purcell, Broussard accepted the position in April and will start work in June. NC State director of athletics Boo Corrigan feels the Wolfpack is gaining a rising star. "Ben is a real student of fundraising," Corrigan said. "He's been around Division I athletics at LSU, and grew up there with big-time football and basketball. He raised significant dollars at Colorado. "More than anything else, I think he's a really good fit as a person and will really be respected and well thought about by Wolf- pack Club members and by the NC State community." "Ben is a great hire for NC State and the Wolfpack Club," Purcell added. "We've known each other for a number of years, and I hold him in the highest regard. I think Ben is a terrific fit for NC State, and I know our community is going to love getting to know him better in the years to come." It is the next step in a career that began as an intern on the PGA Tour while in grad school at LSU. He then spent 13.5 years with LSU's Tiger Athletic Foundation, an organization that Broussard noted is a mir- ror image of the Wolfpack Club. His first day on that job was Jan. 1, 2004. Three days later, LSU, coached then by Nick Saban, won a national championship in foot- ball by defeating Oklahoma in the Sugar Bowl, which was played in New Orleans, practically the Tigers' backyard. His task of helping to raise money became a lot easier, but more importantly, Broussard was able to develop lasting relationships with donors. "I went from not knowing any of the do- nors and the fans to knowing several hundred of them really quickly because Nick Saban had a really good football team," he said. ANSWERING THE CALL Ben Broussard Will Become The New Executive Director Of The Wolfpack Club Broussard — pictured here with his wife, Dana, and their children Jude, Evan and Evie — spent the last two-plus years serving as the assistant vice chancellor of advancement and senior associate athletics director at Colorado, and raised a school-record $26 million in his second year on the job. PHOTO COURTESY BEN BROUSSARD W