VCU's Teague named Minnesota AD

Apr 23, 2012 - 7:51 PM Minneapolis, MN (Sports Network) - The University of Minnesota named Norwood Teague its new athletic director on Monday.

The 46-year-old Teague has occupied that position at VCU since 2006, during which the Rams have transformed into a basketball powerhouse.

Shaka Smart's 2011 team surprised many by making the NCAA Tournament's Final Four despite being one of the final at-large teams selected, and Anthony Grant led the Rams to a first-round upset of Duke in the 2007 tourney. VCU also won three Colonial Athletic Association conference tournament titles and the 2010 College Basketball Invitational since 2006.

Teague hired both Smart and Grant.

He inherits a program formerly headed by Joel Maturi, who is retiring after a 10-year stint. Maturi made some successful moves, most notably luring Tubby Smith away from Kentucky to become the Golden Gophers' bench boss in 2005. But even Smith has been unable to produce an NCAA Tournament victory. The football program's performance has also been lackluster.

Teague will need to learn the intricacies of big-conference football management. VCU does not have a football team, while the Gophers are one of the oldest programs in the nation and compete in the Bowl Conference Subdivision.

Virginia Commonwealth has not yet announced Teague's replacement or commented on the future of Smart, who earlier this year received and declined an offer from Illinois reportedly worth $2.5 million per year.