Iowa State has turned a new page at athletic director, hiring Jared Benko to replace Jamie Pollard after Pollard’s more than two-decade run guiding the Cyclones’ department.
The move ends an era that lasted about 21 years, with Pollard announcing his retirement in July. He had been expected to remain in the job through the fall, but that timetable was moved up, and his last day in the office came near the end of September.
Now the job belongs to Benko, who arrives in Ames from Auburn. He has been with the SEC school since November 2024 and had responsibilities across a wide range of areas. As Alec Busse of Cyclone Alert, part of the 247Sports Network, shared, “Benko's role at Auburn includes expertise in Auburn's NIL and revenue sharing department, player management, contracts, human resources, information technology and equipment.”
Iowa State president David Cook pointed to that background in announcing the hire. “Athletics is vital to the strength of our university. Jared Benko brings the leadership experience and strategic vision to build on our success, support our student athletes as students first and ensure Iowa State is well positioned for the future of college athletics,” Cook said in a statement.
Benko brings more than 20 years in college athletics to the role. Before Auburn, he served as athletic director at Georgia Southern, where he was credited with strengthening fundraising and increasing the money available to the athletic department. He also has Power Four experience, including stops at Georgia and Mississippi State.
He steps into a department with plenty already in motion. Jimmy Rogers is in his first season as Iowa State’s football coach and is 3-3 so far.
T.J. Otzelberger just landed a 10-year extension after guiding men’s basketball to a fifth straight NCAA tournament and drawing interest from bigger programs.
There are more changes coming, too. Bill Fennelly will retire after this season, leaving women’s basketball in search of a new head coach after 30 years. The women’s soccer program also needs a new head coach, and Iowa State is set to launch women’s wrestling.
Benko’s next challenge is bigger than any one hire. He and his staff will be tasked with growing the athletic department’s financial base so Iowa State can keep pace in a college sports landscape that keeps shifting under everyone’s feet.
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Iowa State Just Made A High-Pressure Decision For Its Athletic Future
Iowa State has turned a major page in its athletic department, naming Jared Benko as its new director of athletics to replace longtime leader Jamie Pollard. Benko arrives from Auburn, where he served as executive deputy athletic director, and he is set to begin his role on October 30. His rsum also includes administrative stops at several SEC schools, along with a previous run as athletic director at Georgia Southern.
For Iowa State, the hire lands at an important moment as it looks to chart its next phase after Pollards lengthy tenure. Benko brings experience from power-conference administration and a background running his own department, a combination that gives the Cyclones a fresh set of hands on the wheel as the transition gets underway. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa State Just Handed Its Athletic Future To A Different Kind Of Leader
Iowa State is turning to a seasoned athletics administrator to guide its next chapter, with university president David Cook selecting Jared Benko as the schools next director of athletics. Benko, who spent time as executive deputy athletic director at Auburn and brings more than 20 years of leadership experience in athletics, is slated to begin on Oct. 30 pending approval by the Iowa Board of Regents.
For a department that oversees 18 intercollegiate sports, the hire puts a broad mandate on Benko from the outset, since he will also serve as an advisor to the university president. The move signals that Iowa State wants an athletics leader with both operational experience and a voice at the highest levels of campus decision-making, with the formal approval process still the last hurdle before the transition becomes official. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa State Opens With An Early Test Fans Will Be Watching Closely
The first real look at Iowa States season comes early, and it comes against a Creighton team with enough baggage and enough talent to make the opener worth watching. Greg McDermotts Bluejays are coming off a 16-18 season that left them out of the NCAA Tournament, but they still bring the kind of veteran pieces that can expose a team before conference play ever starts, especially with guards B.J. Davis and Wes Enis arriving as transfers.
For the Cyclones, the matchup is a useful measuring stick for where the roster stands right out of the gate. Creighton is expected to bring a size edge on the perimeter, which should test Iowa States ball-handling, defensive rotations and ability to keep plays in front of them. Early-season games rarely tell the whole story, but this one should offer a clear hint about how ready the Cyclones are for a tougher runway ahead. [Read more 🡒]