The Atlantic Coast Conference hired Northwestern athletic director Jim Phillips on Monday to be the leagueās next commissioner, replacing the retiring John Swofford.
Phillips has been Northwesternās AD since 2008, leading the athletic department through a period of success in competition and growth in facilities.
The Chicago native has also worked at Notre Dame under current Duke athletic director Kevin White and was athletic director at Northern Illinois before taking over at Northwestern in the Big Ten.
āAs Iāve said many times before, having been an athletic director prior to sitting in this chair is a tremendous benefit, and that will serve him well.
The 72-year-old Swofford became commissioner in 1997 of a very different ACC, which had only nine members at the time and remained basketball-focused.