Northern Illinois’ Athletic Director Sean Frazier is reportedly a candidate to replace Sandy Barbour at Penn State.
Just a day after the University announced that Barbour will be retiring this summer, college football insider Brett McMurphy of the Action Network reported that Frazier is a “prominent target” to become Penn State’s next athletic director.
Northern Illinois’ Sean Frazier is a “prominent target” for the athletic director position at Penn State, sources told @ActionNetworkHQ. Frazier, a former deputy AD at Wisconsin, has been at NIU since 2013 & is a finalist for Sports Business Journal’s AD of the Year
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) March 17, 2022
Frazier is familiar with the Big Ten, having worked under Barry Alvarez at Wisconsin from 2007-13 before moving on to Northern Illinois. He worked in various senior leadership roles in Madison before being promoted to deputy director of athletics in 2011.
Before going to Wisconsin, Frazier ran the athletic departments at Merrimack College, Clarkson University and Manhattanville College between 1999 and 2007.
After playing football at Alabama from 1987-91 and helping the Tide to an SEC championship in 1989, Frazier’s leadership background began in 1995 at the University of Maine. Initially hired as an assistant football coach, Frazier became assistant to the athletic director in 1996 and rose to assistant AD two years later.
Frazier is a native of Long Island, New York, and has also served on a number of NCAA committees throughout his career.
