DeWayne Peevy, a leader in communications, fund-raising and day-to-day operations of the UK Athletics Department, has been named director of athletics at DePaul University.
Peevy, who has played a number of vital roles in Kentucky’s ascension to one of the top athletic departments in the country, will be formally introduced at a press conference as the new AD at DePaul on Tuesday in Chicago.
Peevy will become the seventh current Division I athletic director to work under UK Athletics Director Mitch Barnhart. He joins Alabama’s Greg Byrne, Mississippi State’s John Cohen, Minnesota’s Mark Coyle, Oregon’s Rob Mullens, Murray State’s Kevin Saal and Florida’s Scott Stricklin on the Barnhart AD tree.
“I will miss ‘My Old Kentucky Home,’ ” Peevy said.
“College athletics have been my heartbeat for as long as I can remember. From the University of Montevallo, my time at the Gulf South Conference and Southeastern Conference, and most recently at the University of Kentucky, watching young men and women grow and compete has been the center of my universe. At UK, I was unbelievably fortunate to fulfill that passion and enjoy the privilege to play a small part in the lives of our student-athletes.
“If that alone was the impact Kentucky had on our lives, it would be worth it alone. But perhaps more than that, we are leaving family. Lexington has become our home. My wife, Allison, and I have raised our kids, Kaitlyn and Braden, in Lexington. We’ve been embraced – and become a part of – Big Blue Nation. The relationships we have built at Kentucky will last a lifetime. For us to walk away from that is difficult, but we do so knowing that we will always be a part of BBN and will keep a close eye on the success of the Wildcats.
“I want to thank Dr. Eli Capilouto, Athletics Director Mitch Barnhart and Kentucky basketball coach John Calipari for their leadership, guidance and the opportunity of a lifetime at UK as I try to instill so many of the values I learned from them at DePaul.”
