Denver vice chancellor for athletics and recreation Peg Bradley-Doppes announced a shift in roles in her division, appointing longtime DU administrator Ron Grahame to his new role as the day-to-day athletic director, effective immediately.
Bradley-Doppes announced her plans to retire June 30, 2018. She will continue her role as vice chancellor for athletics, recreation and Ritchie Center operations until then, but will shift her focus to high-end fundraising, coaching endowments, raising money for the Denver Tennis Park and other capital projects.
DU chancellor Rebecca Chopp announced that DU will begin a search for a new vice chancellor later this fall to replace Bradley-Doppes following her retirement.
Grahame, who was promoted in Dec. 2016 to deputy director of athletics, has contributed over three decades worth of service to DU, performing a plethora of athletics duties at a high level. The DU alum was instrumental in the transition of DU athletics to NCAA Division I in 1998 and has played an integral role in the various conference affiliation shifts for the Pioneers over the years.
“The appointment of Ron Grahame as DU’s athletic director reflects the value that Ron’s leadership continues to provide for our DU community,” Bradley-Doppes said in a statement. “Ron has proudly represented DU at every level over the last 40 years. In his time as a stand-out student-athlete, coach and administrator, Ron’s passion for Denver has had a positive and powerful impact in making our DU athletic program what it is today.”
As an administrator, Grahame has chaired and served on many NCAA committees as well as local, regional and national organizing committees. Grahame has also served as the tournament director for numerous events, league championships and NCAA tournaments.
Grahame’s journey at Denver began as a student-athlete with the men’s hockey program in 1969. As a goaltender for the Pioneers, Grahame was an All-American, earned WCHA Player of the Year honors and was named Denver’s Student-Athlete of the Year his senior year. Following his illustrious collegiate career, Grahame played professional hockey for eight seasons in the World Hockey Association (Houston), American Hockey League (Binghamton) and National Hockey League (Boston, L.A. and Quebec). Upon retiring from playing, he served as an assistant/associate hockey coach at DU from 1982 to 1990.
In 1997, Grahame was inducted into the University of Denver Athletic Department Hall of Fame. In 2002, he was honored as a member of the 50th Anniversary All-WCHA Team.
