Former SIU-Carbondale Director of Athletics Paul Kowalczyk is retiring.
According to the Daily Illini, the current University of Illinois athletics department administrator is retiring effective August 31 following more than 30 years working in collegiate athletics.
Kowalczyk led the Saluki athletics department from 2000-06. During his time at SIU, the Salukis won 15 conference championships in seven sports.
SIU's current athletics department head Jerry Kill was the Salukis head football coach when Kowalczyk was the A.D. After returning to SIU earlier this year, Kill praised Kowalczyk's work.
"If you look at Paul Kowalczyk when he came in here and the challenge he had and we still won. Paul was a tremendous athletic director here. I believe he cut the budget, if I remember right. He cut the budget and we won games."
In between his stints at SIU and U of I, Kowalczyk was the athletic director at Colorado State University from 2006-2011.
