“(WKU President) Dr. (Gary) Ransdell gave me a tremendous opportunity two years ago, and I will always be indebted to him and our friendship,” Bjork said in a statement. “While my tenure at WKU has certainly turned out to be shorter than I could ever have anticipated, I have cherished every moment I have worked for WKU and been a part of the Hilltopper Nation.”
Bjork came to WKU after serving five years in UCLA’s athletic department. He was hired in March 2010 to take over for Wood Selig, who left for Old Dominion.
Bjork’s tenure was defined by his decision to fire basketball coach Ken McDonald in January after the team got off to a 5-11 start. Ray Harper was promoted to interim coach and was given the job on a full-time basis last month by Bjork.
The Hilltoppers rallied for a shocking Sun Belt Tournament title by winning four games in four days. They won the NCAA play-in game against Mississippi Valley State before losing to the top overall seed, the University of Kentucky, last week at the KFC Yum! Center.
“The future of WKU Athletics is bright and the foundation is in place for greatness to occur for years to come,” Bjork said.
In what turned out to be Bjork’s final major move, he fired long-time women’s basketball coach Mary Taylor Cowles earlier this month after the Lady Toppers finished 9-21. The women’s program still has a vacancy, and hiring a new coach will likely be Job No. 1 for the new AD.
Ransdell had a decade of stability under Selig, who was at WKU from 1999 to 2010. Now he’s looking for an AD for the second time in three years.
Former Ole Miss quarterback Archie Manning, who co-chaired the Mississippi search committee, said he expects Bjork to connect quickly with the fan base.
“Ross will bring incredible energy to the Ole Miss family, and I’m looking forward to seeing that grow,” Manning said.
Bjork, a native of Dodge City, Kan., received a bachelor’s degree in recreation administration in 1995 from Emporia State University, where he was a two-year starter at fullback. He has a master’s in athletic administration from Western Illinois University.
