Acting UC Irvine Athletic Director Resigns to Take Position at Auburn

Barbara Camp, who has been acting athletic director at UC Irvine since the resignation of Tom Ford in July, is leaving to become an associate athletic director at Auburn. She will oversee all sports at Auburn except football and men’s basketball.

Camp, who was firm in declining to be considered for the Irvine athletic director’s job, has been an associate athletic director for student affairs and the senior women’s administrator at Irvine since 1990. She will have the same title at Auburn, where she will be one of three associate athletic directors.

She previously worked at Southern Methodist for 21 years, rising from women’s tennis coach to associate athletic director.

Camp said her move was made for personal reasons, and that she particularly wanted to be closer to her mother, who lives in Paris, Tex. Camp’s father died last year.

“I’m going home,” Camp said. “I’m a Southern, conservative, Christian girl. That’s me.”

Mike Lude, the Auburn athletic director, said in a released statement that Camp brings “a wealth of talent, ability and quality experience” to Auburn.

Camp called the job “an incredible opportunity,” and cited Auburn’s success in women’s basketball, a program that reached the Final Four in 1988, ’89 and ’90.

“I’m grateful for my two years here,” Camp said of Irvine. “They’ve been incredible and the reason is the people.”