Skip to main content

UW-Eau Claire Athletic Director Dan Schumacher retiring in spring

Photo caption: The Blugolds won seven national championships while Dan Schumacher was UW-Eau Claire's athletic director.

University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Athletic Director Dan Schumacher is retiring at the end of spring semester after leading Blugold Athletics for the past nine years.

“Dan will leave a strong legacy for our Blugold Athletics program and I want to thank him, not only for the success of our teams, but for always putting student success at the forefront,” Chancellor James Schmidt says. “Dan exemplified our commitment to Blugold excellence and to providing our students with the experiences and opportunities to lead and succeed.”

During Schumacher’s time as athletic director, UW-Eau Claire increased its number of student-athletes to as many as 850 as the university brought back men’s baseball and added men’s soccer and women’s lacrosse. The Blugolds have won seven national championships, including three during the 2021-22 academic year, and many more conference titles under Schumacher’s leadership.

Over the past nine years UW-Eau Claire also has upgraded its sports facilities, including the refurbishment of Simpson Field, which will be able to host more than 6,000 fans for track and field, soccer, football and lacrosse once the final phase is completed.

During Schumacher’s tenure, the Blugolds built a new softball stadium; added a wrestling facility; and remodeled McPhee Physical Education Center with a new floor featuring volleyball-only lines and a video board to improve the fan experience for volleyball, wrestling and gymnastics. The Sonnentag Event Center and Field House will become home to Blugold men’s and women’s basketball once it opens in 2024.

Schumacher helped establish a booster club that includes 25 corporate sponsors, which supports initiatives like the Jig’s Up ice fishing event. Schumacher also secured media agreements with local and regional television and radio outlets, and the university struck a new licensing and apparel agreement during his time at UW-Eau Claire.

UW-Eau Claire will begin a nationwide search for an athletic director in the coming weeks.