To All Golden Grizzlies,

It is obviously bittersweet to leave an organization, especially one that has been so impactful to me professionally and personally. But, with Oakland University, it is even more so due to the tremendous people associated in and around the program.

Accordingly, I want to thank our fantastic coaches for their efforts on behalf of our student-athletes. Our coaches are not only great teachers and mentors but also care deeply about our students and have worked tirelessly within the culture we have established- The Ethos on Athletics. It is a commitment to develop a 360 degree, well-rounded student-athlete ripe with academics and athletics success as well as developing the student-athletes socially to make wise decisions and harness leadership characteristics. I would like to mention one relationship in particular with Coach Greg Kampe. We developed a wonderful working relationship based on mutual respect, and I think we both benefited from having each other around to discuss many topics and issues and push the envelope. He has a deep-rooted passion for Oakland University that may be unmatched and among many other quality attributes, that is one that I found the most compelling.

I have been very fortunate to have the support of an incredible Executive Leadership team and Senior Staff made up of assistant, associate and senior associate athletic directors as well as my executive assistant. The Ethos could not have been established and thrived without the buy in of this group. A heartfelt thank you is not nearly enough to express the depths of my gratitude for what we achieved together. I really enjoyed the interactions with this group from macro level brainstorming, to the summer retreats, to casual conversations to seeing them blossom in new duties and job responsibilities. There is a lot of talent in the enterprise.

In addition to our coaches and executive leadership team, we have numerous athletics staff members who are outstanding in their own areas of expertise, including operations, academics, public relations, video, marketing, compliance, business affairs, equipment, strength & conditioning, psychologists, athletic trainers and team physicians among others. This list represents people who assist our student-athletes daily in in their journey towards graduation and also in their quest to become the best athletes they possibly can within our athletics infrastructure.

It has been an honor and a privilege to serve under the broader campus leadership from Dr. Betty Youngblood who originally brought me to Rochester, Michigan and through Dr. George Hynd and most recently, Dr. Ora Pescovitz. Each brought a passion to the position and I learned many leadership qualities from each of them. Similarly, my fellow members of the President's Cabinet work diligently to try and improve the current state of Oakland University and appropriately plan for the future. Their dedication is admirable.

The straw that stirs the drink is the student-athletes themselves. They are a constant source of joy and inspiration as they push their hearts and minds to become the best they can be. And as the recent "Night of Champions" event suggests, our Golden Grizzlies have made significant impacts in the classroom, on the fields of competition and in the community. It is incredible to witness the growth of these student-athletes as they make their respective way through their university years.

And finally, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to all Golden Grizzlies fans. From the Grizz Gang, to our volunteers, to our season ticket holders, to our student organizations, to the band and Grizzly Motion, and to our passionate alumni and donors, you make Oakland University, and the athletics program, a special place to be associated with. I know you will continue your tremendous support.

It has been a great pleasure to work with and for all of you. I wish you all nothing but the best moving forward.

Sincerely,

Jeffrey Konya
Oakland University
Director of Athletics