South Alabama Athletic Director Dr. Joel Erdmann reflects on 17-year legacy

MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) - A thank you message lights up the scoreboard at Hancock Whitney Stadium, honoring a man who helped build it from the ground up. After 17 years, South Alabama Athletic Director Dr. Joel Erdmann is calling it a career.

Erdmann announced he will retire at the end of May to spend time with his wife Tina and slow down a bit, closing a chapter that started before Jaguar football ever took the field.

He says this job has been a dream come true.

“It’s one thing to say you want to be an AD… It’s one thing to say you want to be a Division One AD… It’s a whole different thing to say… I want to be an AD right there… That’s where I want to be,” Erdmann said.

Facility upgrades and championships

During his tenure, Erdmann oversaw more than $100 million in facility upgrades, including the transformation of Jaguar football from off-campus to a state-of-the-art home.

However, his impact goes beyond bricks and mortar, with 41 Sun Belt Championships and dozens of postseason runs under his leadership.

Erdmann says he’ll always cherish the years he spent working for South Alabama and he’s grateful for the privilege it has been for him to lead Jags athletics.

“It’s been nothing but a love story between me… my wife Tina… and this university during our time here. And that’s really cool… I mean… how fortunate is that… to really get the job you dream of?” Erdmann said.

Advice for his successor

Erdmann has advice for whoever steps in to take the role.

“Make sure you love it, and I really mean that word ”love". You got to bring your A game every day, because you expect others to bring their A game every day, regardless of the circumstance and in order to do that, if you don’t deeply love what you do, you’re not gonna be able to sustain that. It’s not a pastime, it’s not a job, it’s not a position, it’s a calling and there’s a real significant difference to that,” Erdmann said.

While a new era is on the horizon, Erdmann said his connection to South Alabama and the city of Mobile will never change.

Erdmann will officially retire at the end of May. Deputy Athletic Director Dr. Daniel McCarthy will step in as interim.