UW's Woodward fires athletic administrator

New Washington athletic director Scott Woodward isn't wasting any time shaking up his department.

Woodward, named the permanent AD 17 days ago, announced over the weekend that he was firing Marie Tuite, the school's senior associate athletic director for sports programs. In that role, Tuite was in charge of the school's Olympic Sports programs, notably women's basketball and volleyball.

She was beginning her 15th year at UW.

She is the second high-ranking associate AD to leave the department since Woodward was named permanent AD. Ken Winstead, the associate athletic director for fund development, announced his resignation two days after Woodward was named permanent AD. Winstead said he was leaving to pursue other career opportunities and that his departure was not related to Woodward's hire.

In an e-mail Friday to the rest of the department that the school made available, Woodward wrote that "I have not reached this decision (to relieve Tuite) lightly, it has been the product of months of thought and discussion and I have come to the conclusion that this will provide me with a fresh start for managing our sport programs."

Woodward wrote that he anticipated having a replacement for Tuite named "in the next few weeks."

A UW official said the move was simply a "change in direction" for the department but that otherwise the school will not comment on the specifics of the firing.

Tuite's is one of three openings in the department.

Jeff Compher, who was the executive associate athletic director and in charge of the day-to-day operations of the football and men's basketball programs, left last spring to become the new athletic director at Northern Illinois University.

Also leaving the department since the start of the year was Scott Barnes, UW's senior associate athletic director for advancement, who left to become the new athletic director at Utah State in March. Barnes' duties were filled by the promotion of Jennifer Cohen to the position of senior associate athletic director for development.

Bob Condotta: 206-515-5699 or bcondotta@seattletimes.com