Draft:Ted Leland

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Edward “Ted” Leland, PhD, is a former American college administrator and director of athletics at Dartmouth College, University of the Pacific (United States) and Stanford University. Leland has been inducted into seven different Halls of Fame.

Early Life and Education 

A Northern California native, Leland graduated from Hayward High School and later attended Chabot College in Hayward. He earned both bachelor’s in physical education (1970) and master’s in sports psychology (1972) from UOP before completing a doctorate in education/sport psychology from Stanford (1982).   While a UOP undergraduate, Leland was a first-team All-Pacific Coast Athletic Association football selection as a defensive end in 1969 and was team Most Valuable Player as a senior. He also lettered in the track and wrestling programs. He later coached football at UOP, Stanford and East Tennessee State.  He was both an assistant football coach and instructor of physical education at Stanford in 1978-79. 

He also was an adjunct professor at Dartmouth College, UOP and Stanford, teaching courses in sports psychology and the philosophy of sport. 

Administrative career 

Before securing his first director of athletics position, Leland was an assistant athletic director at the University of Houston from 1979-81 and senior associate athletic director at Northwestern University from 1981-83.

Dartmouth College (1983-1988)

Leland was selected as the director of athletics at Dartmouth College in 1983. Under Leland's direction, Dartmouth teams won 18 Ivy League championships, and during the 1988-89 academic year the Big Green's Ivy League Won-Loss record was its best in 29 years. During his six-year Dartmouth tenure, Leland significantly upgraded the athletic department structure, managed extensive renovations of athletic facilities and increased fundraising by 300 percent.

University of the Pacific (1988-1991)

Leland was named UOP's director of athletics in 1988 and made significant upgrades in the department by transforming the budget process while adding staff and scholarships to non-revenue sport programs.  

Stanford University (1991-2005)

Leland was named the Jaquish & Kenninger Director of Athletics at Stanford on June 7, 1991. During his 14-year tenure from 1991-2005, Stanford won 57 national collegiate championships, more than any other director of athletics in NCAA history. The championships spanned 14 different sports, also a record unmatched by any other director in NCAA history. In 1996-97 alone, Stanford captured six national titles , giving Leland the distinction of having won more championships in one year than any other director in NCAA history.

Cardinal teams consistently competed for national championships in virtually every sport, winning 173 conference championships during his tenure. In 2004-05, Stanford had 26 programs finish in the Top 25 nationally, including 10 in the Top 5 and 16 in the Top 10. 

  Stanford captured 11 National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) Directors Cups under Leland, emblematic of the nation’s top athletic program. He helped raise more than $270 million in private donations and increased Stanford Athletic Department’s endowments and reserves from $50 million to $625 million.

In June 2022, U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige named Leland co-chairman of the U.S. Secretary of Education's Commission on Opportunity in Athletics. The 15-member panel examined ways of strengthening enforcement of Title IX (the anti-discrimination law) and expanding opportunities to ensure fairness for all college athletes. 

Leland concluded his 14-year Stanford career on Jan. 1, 2006.

University of the Pacific - Vice President and Return as Director of Athletics (2006-2017)

Leland returned to UOP as vice president for university advancement in 2006, overseeing fundraising and alumni relations.  He reorganized UOP’s annual giving operation by unveiling the new “Pacific Fund” and began awarding grants to deserving undergraduates by spring 2007.  He helped secure the largest gift in school history in May 2007 as the University announced a $100 million bequest from the estate of Robert and Jeannette Powell.

On July 1, 2011, Leland was named UOP vice president for external relations and director of athletics. Within three years, he transformed the annual athletics giving program, tripling donations. Overseeing the UOP Athletics Five-Year Strategic Plan, Leland instituted the Athletics Facilities Master Plan covering a wide array of facility upgrades. He retired as director of athletics in October 2017.  

Facilities 

During his career, Leland led or partnered in the initiation, programming and/or funding of 62 athletic facility projects with an estimated cost of $486.7M. At Stanford, he shepherded the construction or renovation of $185 million worth of facilities, including the $23 million Arrillaga Family Sports Center, the $25-million remodeling of Maples Pavilion, the track and swimming complexes, the tennis and softball stadiums, as well as the rugby, soccer and field hockey fields. The renovation of Stanford Stadium was just beginning as Leland was set to depart.

Community Involvement 

Leland managed multiple administrative teams that raised over $625 million in charitable donations and helped secure more than 25 gifts exceeding $5 million.    Leland dedicated 20 years of service to NCAA, PAC-10 Conference, and Rose Bowl management committees and volunteer service to various community and sports affiliated boards and committees.    He has served as board chair of the Sutter Health Valley Area Safety & Quality Committee and served on the board of the Sutter Central Valley Hospitals and Sutter Gould Medical Foundation. He also served on the board of Community Foundation of San Joaquin Community. He was former chair for Stockton Unified School District – Measure C & Q Citizen Oversight Committee and the USA Volleyball Foundation Board. He also served as a member of the National Advisory Board of the Positive Coaching Alliance, Miracle Mile Improvement Association Board of Directors, San Joaquin Partnership, and USA Volleyball Board of Directors. 

Halls of Fame 

Leland has been inducted into the Hall of Fame of seven different organizations:

- University of the PacificUOP (1994, 1999, 2022 – three separate inductions).

- Chabot College Chabot College (2000).

- Stanford University Stanford University (2006).

- California Community College Football Coaches Association California State Junior College Football (2007)

- California Community College Athletic Association (2011)

- Stockton Athletic Hall of Fame Stockton Athletic Hall of Fame (2015).

- NACDA NACDA (2008).  

Honors and Awards

Leland was named Athletic Director of the Year (Divison-I, West Region) NACDA National Athletic Director of the Year and Street & Smith’s Sports Business Journal for 2000-01.

- Sports Business Journal named him among its Top 20 “Most Influential” in college athletics in 2004.

- The 2004 Dick Enberg Award from the College Sports Information Directors of America. The honor is awarded annually to a person whose actions and commitment have furthered the meaning and reach of the Academic All-America Teams Program and/or the student-athlete, while promoting the values of education and academics.,ref>“academicallamerica.com/sports/2017/11/27/AboutEnbergAward.aspx”</ref>

- The Positive Coaching Alliance 2006 Ronald L. Jensen Award for Lifetime Achievement.

- The 2008 National Invitation Tournament Man of the Year Award. 

References

"New Athletic Director Comes from Northwestern, Valley News, June 10, 1983.

"Ted Leland Named New Dartmouth Athletic Director," Daily Dartmouth, June 10, 1983.

"Couldn't Pass Up Chance at Dartmouth," Manchester Union Leader, June 18, 1983.

"Leland Quits at Dartmouth," Boston Globe, Dec. 22, 1988.

"Dartmouth AD Resigns," Manchester Union Leader, Dec. 22, 1988.

"Pacific Lands AD," USA Today, Dec. 22, 1988.

"Leland Leaves his Ivy League Teams for Old California Alma Mater," Fortnightly, Jan. 13, 1989.

"Leland Lands at Stanford," San Francisco Chronicle, June 8, 1991.

San Francisco Business Times, Sept. 19, 2003.

“Leland Returned to a Full Plate,” San Jose Mercury News, June 11, 2003.

“20 Most Influential People: Collegiate Sports,” Street & Smith’s Business Journal, Dec. 2004.

“Stanford Losing It’s Biggest Fan,” Palo Alto Weekly, Dec. 14, 2005.

“Leland is Leaving Stanford,” eastbaytimes.com, Oct. 5, 2005. 

“Leland Leaving at Top of His Game / Legacy at Stanford: New, better facilities,” SFGATE, Oct. 5, 2005. 

“Leland Returns Home to UOP,” The Stockton Record, Jan. 2005.

"San Jose Mercury News, Oct. 15, 2006." 

“Ted Leland Quits Stanford,” Palo Alto Online, Oct. 4, 2005. 

  “Pacifictigers.com, Aug. 22, 2017.” 

“Leland Steps Aside,” Stanford Magazine, Jan. 19, 2012. 

  “Ted Leland Named Co-Chair Of Commission On Opportunity In Athletics,” gostanford.com, June 27, 2002. 

“Stanford Men’s Basketball Adds Amanda Leland as Assistant GM,” sportsillustrated.com, July 28, 2025. 

“academicallamerica.com/sports/2017/11/27/AboutEnbergAward.aspx”