Bulldogs’ AD Terry Tumey makes first hire. His interim deputy was let go at Auburn

Fresno State athletic director Terry Tumey has made his first staff hire, and it could come with a few questions. But the Bulldogs’ new boss said he is confident in all of the answers he received about Meredith Jenkins, his interim deputy AD, and her ability to help steer a department that is loaded down by 21 sports programs and in the 2018-19 academic year will require $19.1 million in university support.

Jenkins spent more than 20 years at Auburn and was the executive associate athletic director and senior women’s administrator last August when the university was embroiled in a scandal involving its softball program.

According to a Title IX complaint at Auburn, a former player alleged the Tigers’ coach allowed his son, an assistant coach, to have and pursue relations with multiple members of the team. According to an ESPN report, Jenkins told players that they were risking arrest for taking the text messages from a teammate’s phone that proved an inappropriate relationship and ordered them to delete the messages.

In June, Jenkins was let go by new Auburn athletic director Allen Greene along with five other senior athletics administration officials in a restructuring of the department. Greene was hired in January, two months after Jay Jacobs announced that he would be stepping down.

While at Auburn, Jenkins was a member of the executive leadership team and led strategic planning and management in the department including oversight of a $140 million budget. She twice was chair of the NCAA Soccer Committee and in 2010 received the Auburn University Women of Distinction Award.

“Meredith is well-respected in Auburn Athletics for her 24 years of valuable, dedicated service to the department and university and, most importantly, our student-athletes,” Greene said via email.

Tumey said, “We’re fortunate enough to have a very quality individual joining our athletics department and to help develop our students.

“I feel Meredith will be a great contributor to the experience that our students will have here at Fresno State. I’ll also say for me, with the recommendations that she has received from Auburn and the understanding of her merits and her contributions to the university, we feel very confident and very happy that she is joining us.”

An interim appointment extends up to one year, and Fresno State would have to initiate a formal hiring process to make the hire permanent. Jenkins at Fresno State will have oversight of all internal operations of the athletic department. She also will coordinate university governance within the department.

“All internal aspects of our operation will be led by Meredith,” Tumey said.

This story was originally published August 17, 2018 at 9:24 PM.