Khayat gave a boost to Ole Miss athletics
Ole Miss athletic director Pete Boone remembers when he first approached chancellor Robert C. Khayat about expanding Vaught-Hemingway Stadium 10 or 12 years ago.
Rather than wait until all of the money was in hand, which is typically how athletic building projects are done, Boone convinced Khayat that the Rebels’ athletic program generated enough cash flow to borrow the money necessary to complete the project.
That willingness to trust his top lieutenants is just one of many reasons Ole Miss athletics have flourished under Khayat’s leadership.
On Tuesday, Khayat announced that he will retire June 30, ending his 14-year tenure as the school’s chancellor.
“We’re certainly grateful for all he’s done for Ole Miss and Ole Miss athletics,” Boone said. ”I don’t believe our university would have the stature that it has right now without his personality and his leadership stamp on it.”
commercialappeal.com
1/7/09
