By KEVIN McNAMARA
In what can only be called a major surprise, long-time University of Rhode Island athletic director Thorr Bjorn is leaving to take a senior athletics position at the University of Massachusetts.
Bjorn, a Class of 1990 UMass grad who worked at his alma mater before leaving to take the top job in Kingston in 2007, will become the athletic department’s Senior Deputy Athletic Director and Chief Administrative Officer and be in charge of the struggling football program. ESPN’s Pete Thamel was the first to report the news.
In his previous stop at UMass, Bjorn spent 15 years in the department and rose to the role of senior associate athletic director. A three-year letter-winner for the Minutemen football team, Bjorn left his alma mater and was hired by URI President Robert Carothers. Just this past June, Bjorn was promoted to Vice President for Athletics by current URI boss Marc Parlange with a five-year contract extension that runs through the 2029-30 academic year.
Bjorn, who is in his 19th year as Rhody’s athletic director, was earning $360,000 according to state records. He’s helped revitalize the program’s facilities in recent years, helped save the football program which is now ranked in the Top 25 nationally in FCS and is the second-longest serving athletic director in school history. Only Frank Keaney (1920-56) served the position longer.
“As I close this remarkable 18-year chapter, I’m filled with gratitude for everyone who made this journey so special,” Bjorn said in a statement released by URI. “Thank you to President Bob Carothers for giving me a chance, to President David Dooley for 12 years of partnership, and to my friend President Marc Parlange for his belief and support that helped elevate URI Athletics. I’m also deeply grateful to the Board of Trustees, my leadership colleagues and our academic deans, and our elected state leaders for their strong support. To Rhody Nation—your unwavering spirit has been the heart of it all. To our dedicated staff, coaches, and thousands of student-athletes—you’ve inspired me every day. And to our season ticket holders, donors, and alumni—thank you for strengthening the Rhody family. Most of all, thank you to my wife, Cyndy, and our daughters, Stephanie, Robyn, and Rachael, for their love and support. I leave with nothing but gratitude.”
“Thorr is the kind of leader every university hopes to have – he builds winning teams, champions student-athletes who shine in their sport and in the classroom, and attracts top-tier coaches who elevate the entire program,” Parlange said at the time of Bjorn’s contract extension in June. “His impact goes well beyond athletics. He’s helped shape a culture where our student-athletes are not only competitors, but scholars, leaders, and key members of the URI community. I’m thrilled to continue working alongside Thorr as we build on our momentum and take Rhody Athletics to new levels.”
Bjorn is very well-thought of in the industry and in Rhode Island. Steve Napolillo, his counterpart at Providence College, considers Bjorn a close friend.
“I speak to Thorr on a regular basis and value his friendship,” Napolillo said. “I will really miss him and think he’s a true leader in our industry.”
Among Rhode Island’s athletics achievements during Bjorn’s tenure include the hiring of Dan Hurley that led to a 2017 Atlantic 10 Tournament title and trips to the second round of the NCAA Championship in consecutive years (2017 and 2018). Baseball claimed its first NCAA Regional victory in 2016, while men’s track and field and women’s rowing combined for numerous A-10 crowns and NCAA appearances. Recent highlights include women’s basketball’s first conference title, football’s 2024 CAA championship and return to the FCS postseason for the first time since 1985, and baseball’s A-10 championship and NCAA appearance this past spring.
UMass has tried, largely unsuccessfully, to elevate its football program but current athletic director Ryam Bamford did move the program into the Mid-American Conference. Conference affiliation was one of the major stumbling blocks for the Minutemen but competing in the MAC will not be easy. Now in its first season as a member, UMass is 0-5 in league play and 0-9 overall under first-year coach Joe Harasymiak.
“I am excited to work alongside Ryan and head coach Joe Harasymiak and his staff and to help build a championship-caliber football program in the Mid-American Conference,” Bjorn said in a statement issued by UMass. “In addition, I look forward to collaborating with our coaches, staff, alumni, fans and donors to advance a culture of championship excellence — in the classroom, in the community and on the fields of competition.”
