Penn State Athletics: Assistant AD Cory Chapman Set To Leave Department

Cory Chapman, assistant athletic director in charge of facility and event operations, is moving on from Penn State, the university confirmed to StateColllege.com on Thursday morning.

Chapman was named the associate athletic director for facility and event operations in May 2018 having previously served as assistant athletic director and general manager of Beaver Stadium and Pegula Ice Arena since August 2015.

While at Penn State, Chapman served as facilities coordinator for more than 20 athletic buildings, managed major and minor maintenance and projects, conducted capital planning and managed a staff of building coordinators, gameday staff, information technology and other support staff.

Additionally, Chapman was also director of game day operations at Beaver Stadium, a role he held for the majority of the 2017 season and beyond.

On the hockey side of things, Chapman was instrumental in the fluidity of the then recently opened Pegula Ice Arena leaning on experiences from his time at Minnesota in a similar role at Mariucci Arena.

Penn State has made no indication of how quickly the university will move to find a replacement, but given the importance of the behind-the-scenes role and the football season just over a month away, it will likely happen sooner rather than later.

Chapman’s destination is unconfirmed, but he would be a good candidate to follow Penn State’s former deputy director Phil Esten who recently took over as director of athletics at the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota following the conclusion of Penn State’s football season. 

Esten’s role was filled by Scott Sidwell who enters his first season at Penn State as the primary contact point between James Franklin’s program and the athletic department.