Josh Whitman: 10 Years of Gratitude

As I reflect back on the road we have traveled over the past decade, my overriding emotion is one of intense gratitude – to the countless people who have contributed to this remarkable journey that my family and I have been blessed to enjoy. Below, I mention a few people by name who have been particularly influential during my tenure. The list is long and my feelings are genuine, so I ask your indulgence. And no matter how extensive the list may be, there are always people who will be omitted. To all with whom I have had the pleasure of crossing paths over the last ten years, I offer my most heartfelt appreciation. Your words, actions, and support have meant the world to Hope and me.

I first have to thank Barb Wilson, the interim chancellor who, ten years ago, took a chance on a 37-year-old Division III athletic director that few others would have dared taken. For reasons known only to her, Chancellor Wilson had confidence in me that likely surpassed the confidence I had in myself. Her warmth and genuine concern for others belied the strength and courage necessary to navigate the unpredictable waters that come with leading a major R1 institution – which she has now done with incredible grace for nearly five years as the president at the University of Iowa.

I also need to thank my long-time boss, Dr. Robert Jones, who left us last summer after nearly nine years as the University’s chancellor and who is now the president of the University of Washington. What impressed me most about Chancellor Jones was that he never made it about him. He hired good people and trusted them to do good work. He listened. He asked thoughtful questions. And he never failed to step forward in support of our program. I learned so much from him and, in the process, I gained a friend and a mentor.

I am beyond excited to continue partnering with the University’s new leader, Dr. Charles Isbell, who, in July 2025, became our 11th chancellor. Chancellor Isbell has a bold vision for the future of this University, and a successful athletics program is central to his plan. He is a brilliant thinker and gifted strategist, and I am grateful for his open mind and the trust he has shown me in our first months of working together. I believe the University of Illinois will achieve unprecedented heights under his leadership.

There are so many others who are now, or who have previously been, connected to the University who make this work meaningful for me through their open minds, collaborative spirit, and thoughtful actions, especially Scott Rice, Mike DeLorenzo, and Robin Kaler; Tiffany White and Brian Quick; Matt Wheeler and Chris Span; Collin Richmond and Wendy Bertram; John Coleman and many of our deans and faculty members; Jim Moore, Dale Wright, and David Bambrey; Danita Brown Young, Susan Martinis, and Bob Flider; Chief Ballinger and UIPD; and President Tim Killeen and the University’s Board of Trustees, ably led in my tenure by Ed McMillan, Don Edwards, and Jesse Ruiz. My thanks to all.

I need to thank our DIA staff, which now includes more than 300 talented, hard-working professionals. At a recent all-staff meeting, I became emotional while reflecting on our ten years together. The work that we do is intense. The hours are long, with evenings and weekends spent apart from family and loved ones. The pressure to succeed is real, which breathes competitive urgency into every day and every decision. We are always one season away from being the hero or the scapegoat, with championships one direction and storm clouds the other. You grow close to people when working under such conditions, and I am honored to share this journey with such a committed, capable collection of colleagues. I receive more recognition than I deserve for our program’s success, which, in truth, is a direct reflection not of my leadership but of the collective work they undertake every day. I am humbled to walk among them and am beyond grateful for their efforts.

I want to mention a few staff members by name. First, to Diana and Maria, two women who work steps from my office and who manage much of my life. They are selfless, kind, funny, and exceptionally bright. They are my multipliers – allowing me, at times, to seemingly be in more than one place at a time. Their thoughtfulness, organization, and judgment have allowed me to operate with maximum efficiency, and their impact on Illinois Athletics is at the same time unknown and immeasurable. I simply cannot imagine what these years would have been like without them. From the bottom of my heart, thank you, ladies.

Next is our head coaching staff, which I believe is the best in college athletics. Some have been here decades, while others are in their first year – but all have committed themselves to raising banners for the Orange & Blue. Together, we are traveling a dynamic road, with hills and valleys, twists and turns. The road is not well marked, and it is shrouded in perpetual fog. I have tried to offer a dim flashlight and a map that seems unfailingly outdated. Nonetheless, they have given me the thing I value more than anything else: their trust, which is something I pledge to never take for granted. Their success is my success, and I am committed to helping them achieve their championship aspirations. 

Speaking of trust, I need to give special mention to Brad Underwood, Bret Bielema, and Shauna Green – the coaches of our three most visible programs, whose success, it cannot be argued, is most closely tied to my personal longevity. Each of them agreed to join the Fighting Illini at a moment when many of their peers thought coming to Champaign was a career-ender. They trusted me and saw the potential in this place and our people, and each of them has now written their own chapters into the Illinois record books. I believe we have many more chapters to write together, and it is my personal mission to see that Illinois is, in fact, where they end their careers – after long tenures filled with not only wins but championships. My heartfelt thanks to each of you for your confidence, commitment, and friendship. I would not be here without you. 

DIA’s operation – with 500 student-athletes, 300 staff members, thousands of fans and donors, hundreds of acres and dozens of facilities, and a budget that will soon surpass $200 million – is managed by our executive leadership team. This group, which has varied in size over the years from eight to eleven people, is comprised of bright, motivated partners. Each of them is at different points in their careers, with varying experiences, skill sets, and personal objectives. Some of them I have known for decades, with others coming into my life much more recently. Regardless, each has left an indelible mark on me. As a group they have pushed me to be a better leader, a better listener, and a better competitor. We spend hours each week in conversation, deliberating over strategy, solving problems, and identifying opportunities. We have grown comfortable being uncomfortable, and we are increasingly adept at charting a course with incomplete information. The work is not always fun, in the purest sense of the word, but it is always worth it. It is an honor to do this work that matters with a group of people I love and admire. Thank you, all. 

To our student-athletes: you are my heroes. There are many reasons I chose to pursue a career in college athletics, but being part of your growth – having even a small role in helping you realize your potential and prepare you for life – tops the list. At my core, I am an educator raised by two educators, and even though I ply my trade using a different set of tools than a traditional teacher, I hope I am making a positive difference in your experience. As I have told many of you, even though the demands of my position sometimes keep me from attending as many practices, team gatherings, or competitions as I would like, I am all in with you, all the time. Your hard work, sacrifice, and commitment to excellence inspire me every day. I learn more from you than you do from me, and it is an unspeakable privilege to raise our two children in your shadow. If they can grow to have even a fraction of your passion, focus, and selflessness, Hope and I will consider our parenting to have been a success.

Speaking of our kids, unbeknownst to all but a few, the day I was introduced as the athletic director, Hope was pregnant with our daughter, Tate, who arrived that fall. Twenty-two months later came our son, Will. They have never known a life without the comfort and support of our Illini famILLy, and orange and blue fills their closets and adorns their walls. Now in third grade and first grade, each with their own interests, friends, and schedules, I am so proud of the individuals they are becoming, which I know is shaped by the wonderful people they have met and the remarkable experiences they have had thanks to this University and this athletics program.

To Tate and Will: in watching me, I hope you are inspired to find your passion. To continue learning. To take risks in an effort to make a difference. To view failure not from a place of fear but as an opportunity to grow. To believe in yourself and trust others. To recognize that you are stronger, more resilient, and tougher than you know. This career of mine has changed your lives in many wonderful ways, but it comes with trade-offs – most notably, many nights and weekends without your dad at home. My heart is always with you, even when I am not. Being your dad is the most awesome responsibility I will ever have. I am proud of who you are becoming and will love you, always.

All that I know about parenting comes from watching mine. Whatever success I have been fortunate enough to experience is a direct result of the lessons I learned from Mark and Mary Beth Whitman, who still live in the house they built, largely with their own hands, almost 50 years ago in a soybean field outside of West Lafayette, Indiana. Their presence has been one of the few true constants in my life. They have shared with me life’s roller coaster – the moments of joy and sadness, achievement and failure, hope and despair. They are, naturally, among the most ardent Illinois fans I know, and they have watched – in person, on television, or online – almost as many Illini contests over the last decade as I have. It has been one of my biggest thrills seeing them become grandparents to Tate and Will, who adore them. A favorite saying of mine is that a teacher is judged not by what they know but by what their students learn. Both my parents were teachers – my mom in elementary school and my dad in high school – but as their only child, they made clear that I was their most important student. One lesson from them stands above the rest, which informs everything from how I lead to how I parent: there is no substitute for love. 

For a short time after Hope and I were married, I was her parents’ favorite son-in-law (neither of Hope’s sisters is married, so the competition was sparse). Then I moved their daughter twice as far from home at the same time as she was pregnant with their granddaughter, and my approval ratings plummeted. In the years since, I believe I have (mostly) redeemed myself, but I am afraid it is largely through the kindness of their hearts, nothing extraordinary on my behalf. I am so grateful to be in their family – a family they raised with values that I hope our children one day exhibit: compassion, humility, selflessness, toughness, and work ethic. As a cattle farmer and a teacher from southwest Missouri, neither of Hope’s parents had familiarity with the innerworkings of high-major college athletics or knew anything about the University of Illinois. But they are now proud Illini, and I am so thankful to them for their love, trust, and time. My life is so much richer because they are in it.

Without siblings or nieces and nephews of my own, I have been the happy beneficiary of Hope’s two sisters, Heather and Holly, and Heather’s two children, Colin and Addyson. As yet another example of how the University of Illinois has changed our lives, Holly recently relocated to Urbana after spending her entire life in Springfield, Missouri, because she wanted to be a more regular part of Tate and Will’s childhood. And Addy, our niece, chose to attend Illinois, where she is now thriving as a freshman. It has been wonderful having extended family close and being able to create shared memories together.

I need to make special mention of Van Curtis. Van grew up with my dad, and he has been part of my life for my entire life. He has been my biggest cheerleader and my staunchest advocate, from high school sports to the National Football League – and now in my homecoming to Illinois. His heart is boundless and his loyalties are unquestioned, and I cannot imagine being on this journey without him. He is family. 

Van likes to say that life is built on friends and memories. I have been blessed to build a small number of deep, highly personal friendships. Friends are the family you choose, and I am fortunate to have chosen wisely. I have to say thank you to Brian, JonPaul, Nick, and Greg; to Derrick and Adam; to Warren, Kent, and my mentor, Ron Guenther; to Roger (congratulations, Mr. AD!) and Bob; to Coach V, Travis, and Adam; and to Patrick, Luke, and Cush. Your presence in my life exists independent of this magical mystery tour that I seem to have stumbled into for these last ten years, making you more like family than friends. You have been there for me, in good moments and in bad, always willing to lend a hand or offer a word of encouragement. I am always here for you, ready to reciprocate the unconditional love that you have given to me. 

Last but not least, to my wife, Hope, who last year celebrated a far more important ten-year anniversary with me: you have brought me greater joy and sense of purpose than I could ever find in any job, even one that I love as much as this. The wedding band I wear on my left hand is my greatest possession, and being your partner in this life is my greatest privilege. To see you as the mother of my children and the daughter-in-law of my parents is to fill my heart in ways I have never experienced or even expected. You are intelligent, kind, selfless, tough, and passionate. You are beautiful inside and out. I promise to keep trying to make you as happy as you make me – although I know that is one contest I will never win. Thanks for always being there for me. I love you.

To conclude, I offer my sincerest, most heartfelt thanks. Hope, Tate, Will, and I are honored, and lucky, to be here, and we are excited to continue raising our family as part of the famILLy.