Josh Whitman
Director of Athletics
Born in West Lafayette, Indiana
BS Finance, JD University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Having had the distinct honor of being an athlete at Illinois, I have seen Josh Whitman in a lot of settings. The Zoom screen was a first though. Josh Whitman understands the magnitude of his role. In 2016, Whitman returned to his alma mater to take over one of the most prominent, pressure-filled, and exciting positions in college sports. Under Whitman’s leadership, the athletic campus landscape has been transformed. He has overseen major facilities upgrades for sports such as softball, baseball, football, basketball, soccer, and track and field which have led to a whopping 92 NCAA postseason appearances, 14 Big Ten Conference titles, and 9 individual national championships.
Many of the questions Whitman is rightfully asked in his countless press conferences revolve around sports—numbers, records, and expectations. He is judged on the wins and losses of the twenty-one varsity sports at Illinois. With so much sports talk day in and day out, I wanted to know what goes on outside the lines, when he gets to unplug and just be Josh.
When I sat down to chat with him for the Proust Questionnaire, I started by sharing my first memory of him.
It was in his first few weeks in his role as Illinois’ director of athletics. I was a junior, and Whitman attended our weekly student-athlete meeting. Dressed in a tailored shirt, tie, and suit pants, he sat casually with one of his legs dangling off a cafeteria table. The room was silent as our small group of student-athletes sat waiting to see what he’d say to us—what new expectations would come. Once everyone had filed in, he instructed us to pull out our cell phones and proceeded to rattle off ten digits. He said, “that’s my phone number; please save it.” A minute went by, and his phone started to ring. One of the football players in the room had called the number. It was not Whitman’s office phone—he had given us his genuine personal phone number. He wanted to know us and wanted us to know he was at the University of Illinois to be there for us.
Even if you have not been a student-athlete for the Illini, you can see and feel Whitman’s respect for his alma mater. He is in a job that is anything but nine-to-five. He is always tuned in to what is happening with the Illinois programs— flying across the country to give one of his bear hugs to the men’s basketball team after a big win or quietly appearing in the stands of one of our sports arenas in support of a senior whose athletic career is coming to an end. In the limited time he does get to disconnect from the orange and blue, he devotes his time to family and—what many athletes look forward to never doing again—running.
Whitman won’t call himself a runner, but I’m not sure what else you’d call someone who has run hundreds of miles in places all over the world. Despite having been an elite athlete, getting into running was no small feat for Whitman. “I tried my first mile and just felt awful, awful, and it took me six months to just get to a point where I could run even three miles. Then, I was nervous to run outside because I thought I’d get stuck somewhere,” he said, laughing.
Whitman now finds himself leading, at times, over forty people on a four-mile run before home football games. For him, running is a cathartic experience. It frees his mind and provides “some semblance of equilibrium” for his life. Just as when he played football, maintaining his physical fitness is important for him to perform at his highest level.
But even more than running, his family keeps him grounded.
The Whitmans recently moved to a home in the country. Surrounded by nature, the family of four gets to enjoy the hours away from the courts, fields, and gyms they often find themselves in. “We’ve got a little land and some quiet and solitude,” he said. “I’ve really come to appreciate that setting and realize that I needed that. It’s a kind of a sanctuary for me and our family.”
Even though he’s moved to the country, Whitman fully understands the magic of what it is for his children to grow up and be embedded in the community. In fact, he grew up outside of another Big Ten Conference school—Purdue. He appreciates the diversity his children are experiencing and learning from in a town filled with people from around the world.
When Whitman reflects on Urbana-Champaign—it’s more than just a campus for him. “This is absolutely my home and I’m just really grateful to be here and to be able to have our family here.”
We’re thankful you’re here, too, Josh Whitman.
✦ ✦ ✦
We wanted to get to know Whitman a little better, so we’ve asked him to answer an abbreviated version of the Proust Questionnaire for STORIED. Once a popular Victorian parlor game made famous by Marcel Proust, the Proust Questionnaire has been used by reporters over the century and across the globe to reveal a side of leaders, artists, actors, and public figures we may not usually see. You might recognize the format from the back page of Vanity Fair, which has had celebrities answer the questions since 1993.
✦ ✦ ✦
What is your idea of perfect happiness? A day that includes a good sleep, a good workout, a good meal, and good times with my family and friends.
What is your idea of misery?
Hopelessness.
Which talent would you most like to have?
I would love to be a musician—either the guitar or the fiddle.
What is the quality you admire most in a person?
Grit.
Who are your heroes in real life?
I am amazed every day at the toughness, resiliency, discipline, hard work, and leadership displayed by our student-athletes.
Who are your heroes throughout history?
Jackie Robinson, Abraham Lincoln.
What is your most treasured possession?
My wedding band.
What is your motto?
Find an opportunity to do work that matters with people you care about.
What motivates you?
Making a difference.
Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
All of them. I continually work on talking less and listening more.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Professionally, being in a position to provide leadership and influence to my alma mater during a time of great consequence. Personally, finding a partner in life whom I trust, respect, and admire, and creating two special children with her who teach me new things— about them, about me, and about the world— each and every day.
If you were to die and come back as a person or thing, what would it be?
A successful fiction writer. What could be cooler than that?
Who is your favorite musician? Writer? Artist?
Musician: Eric Church. Writer: John Grisham. Artist: My kids.
Where is your favorite spot in the world?
Our house.
This story was published .
