 | Position:
Director of Athletics
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Dr. John Planek was named director of intercollegiate athletics at Loyola University Chicago on Sept. 15, 1999 and has been at the helm for some of the most successful athletics seasons in school history. In 11 years under his direction, the Loyola University Chicago athletics department has enjoyed unprecedented success as the Ramblers have captured a total of 25 regular-season or tournament championships, with the women's volleyball squad earning four trips to the NCAA Tournament, the women's soccer program capturing three NCAA appearances, and the men's soccer team making a pair of trips to the postseason. In 2005, Loyola's men's cross country squad made its first-ever team appearance at the NCAA Championships.
At Loyola, Planek has overseen the construction of a new locker room facility at the soccer and softball fields, the installation of Field Turf and a new lighting system at the soccer/softball complex, the renovation of the weight room in Alumni Gym and the completion of a new outdoor track on Halas Field. Under his guidance, he has helped facilitate the current construction of the Norville Center for Intercollegiate Athletics, which will house new weight and athletic training rooms, locker rooms offices and meetings spaces for all Loyola varsity teams. He was also instrumental in the move for the new athletics logo that was unveiled in July 2000 and for recent and future improvements to the Gentile Center.
Planek was also a driving force behind the creation of a Sports Management degree program at the undergraduate level, following the creation of a Sports Management Certificate Program. Furthermore, under Planek's leadership, Loyola formulated a partnership with the Positive Coaching Alliance, a venture that has continued to flourish each year. He was a catalyst for Loyola becoming a host site of state high school playoff games in both soccer and basketball and was instrumental in helping add several full-time staff positions within the athletics department. In 2006, Loyola was one of only three schools to send both its men's and women's soccer teams to the NCAA Tournament via automatic bids, while the softball squad captured its fourth Horizon League regular-season title in a seven-year span.
In 2002-03, Loyola earned regular-season titles in both women's volleyball and softball and the volleyball squad finished No. 28 in the RPI, the highest mark in school history. The women weren't the only volleyball players to experience success as the men's team came within a match of the NCAA Final Four for the second consecutive year as well. For the second straight year, the Ramblers finished in fourth-place, matching the best mark in school annals, in the McCafferty Trophy standings, an award given to the Horizon League's all-sports champion. Loyola finished a mere half-point out of third place in 2002-03. In 2003-04, for the second straight year, the Ramblers placed second in the women's standings for the McCafferty Trophy.
The 2001-02 season was one of the best in Loyola history as the Ramblers tallied their highest-ever point total in the Horizon League's McCafferty Trophy standings and were just one point shy of third place. Both the men's and women's cross country squads claimed first place at the Horizon League Championships and the women's volleyball, men's volleyball and softball teams each captured at least a share of the regular-season league title.
In four years as associate athletics director at DePaul University, Planek served as the department's chief financial officer and oversaw the marketing, promotions, advertising and corporate sponsorship programs as well as the day-to-day operations of the ticket office. There he was also responsible for the solicitation of new advertisers and sponsors as well as developing and controlling the annual budget and assisting in contract negotiation. Prior to serving as associate athletics director, Planek was DePaul's assistant business manager.
Planek also has extensive championship experience at the Division I level. In 1997, he was the Conference USA Women's Basketball Tournament Manager and he was also a NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament Manager in 1993. In 1992, he served as the Tournament Manager for the Great Midwest Men's Basketball Tournament.
Prior to his appointment at Loyola, Planek was the athletics director at St. Ignatius College Prep, where he was responsible for the administration of 19 interscholastic sports, including 60 coaches and more than 600 student-athletes on 46 teams. His responsibilities also included the oversight of facilities, intramurals and scheduling of all athletics contests.
Planek has a M.S. in sports administration from St. Thomas University in Miami, a B.S. in accounting from Illinois Institute of Technology, and recently earned his Ph.D. from Loyola. A graduate of Fenwick High School, he and his wife, Mary Alice, reside in Oak Park with their five children, Elizabeth (21), who is a senior at Loyola, Mary Kate (19), John (17), Thomas (15) and Margaret (10).
