UW hires associate AD to replace Chadima

Published Jun. 20, 2012 1:21 p.m. ET

foxsports

MADISON, Wis. — The University of Wisconsin athletic department has hired a replacement for the administrator who resigned in January after allegedly making unwanted sexual advances against a male student employee at a Rose Bowl party.

Jason King has been hired as Wisconsin's associate athletic director for capital projects and operations. He replaces John Chadima, who stepped down from that position amid controversy on Jan. 6 after working 22 years in the UW athletic department.

King spent the last 11 years in charge of facilities and game operations at Southern Illinois. Wisconsin athletic director Barry Alvarez announced the hiring on Wednesday.

"We were tremendously impressed with Jason's experience and look forward to the leadership he can bring to our staff," Alvarez said in a news release. "We are in the midst of a number of projects in the department, and his knowledge and expertise can help guide us through the completion of those as well shape our facilities master plan."

King was involved in a number of major construction projects during his tenure at Southern Illinois, including the $80 million Saluki Way campaign. The project featured a new football stadium, 50,000-square foot support facility and complete renovation of SIU Arena. King was SIU's point person between the contractors and architects and supervised the 18-month long construction process.

King will serve as the lead administrator on all major and annual capital projects at Wisconsin, as well as the facilities master plan. He will work as the athletic department's liaison to facilities planning and management on campus. King will oversee the following athletic department staffs: food and beverage, facilities and custodial, event management and transportation services. Additionally, he will serve as the athletic board committee liaison to finance, facilities and operations.

Chadima worked in a similar role at Wisconsin before he announced his resignation. According to a university report released in January, Chadima held a party in conjunction with the 2011 Rose Bowl on Dec. 30, and the event lasted into the early morning of Dec. 31. The party was held in Chadima's suite at the JW Marriott Los Angeles, where most of the university's contingent stayed for Wisconsin's football game against Oregon.

The report claimed Chadima provided alcohol, beer and mixers and that some of the student employees who attended were allegedly younger than the legal drinking age of 21. In the early morning hours of Dec. 31, Chadima allegedly inserted his hand inside a male student employee's pants and grabbed his crotch.

Follow Jesse Temple on Twitter.