Tim Pavlechko ’91 M’93, who has been serving as the Interim Vice President for Athletics & Recreation since March 14 of this year, has been officially named the Vice President of the role as of Oct. 7. With a career spanning over 27 years at Bucknell, including time as a coach and veteran administrator as well as a period as a student athlete, Pavlechko will oversee the 27 NCAA Division I sports currently active at Bucknell, alongside the recreation and intramural programs and the direction and management of the department.
Before being named the VP for Athletics & Recreation, Pavlechko was the Deputy Director of the department where he oversaw internal operations, budgeting and financial services, strategic advancement, facility construction and the administrative supervision of key sports, including men’s basketball, football, wrestling, baseball, men’s lacrosse and men’s and women’s track & field/cross country programs; he was also chair of the NCAA Division I Men’s Lacrosse Committee, as well as a chairman of the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association (EIWA).
“To serve this extraordinary university and lead an athletics department with such a rich history of academic and athletic excellence is truly humbling,” Pavlechko said of his appointment to the role. He views the position as “similar to my time playing offensive lineman in Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium— you won’t see me credited with any touchdowns in my career stats, but my job is to be in the trenches, providing the necessary support and strategic vision so our coaches and student-athletes can execute, score those touchdowns and achieve their goals.”
Pavlechko also feels that working at Bucknell, his alma mater, is “a great privilege.” His day-to-day consists of working with “dedicated coaches and staff colleagues” who “work hard every single day to deliver a truly holistic Division I athletics experience for our student athletes.” His vision for the future is built entirely around “supporting” that student experience, whether that be “intercollegiate, club, group fitness, intramurals or recreational participants.” For those students who are varsity athletes, he plans to “continue to champion academic success,” supporting programs in “striving for competitive excellence in the Patriot League and on the national stage” while prioritizing ongoing “health and wellbeing” for all involved.
University President John Bravman referred to Pavlechko as “a Bison through and through.” He considers Pavlechko to be “the ideal leader for the department,” with “an unwavering commitment to the holistic development of our student athletes and a clear vision for competitive excellence” supported by “deep roots in the Patriot League,” “institutional knowledge” and “proven administrative success at every level.”
