DR. TED LELAND
ATHLETIC, ADMINISTRATOR, COACH
After serving as Stanford’s Director of Athletics for 12 years, Dr. Ted Leland returned to the University of the Pacific on January 1 as Vice President for University Advancement. He had an immediate impact as he reorganized the University’s annual giving operation under the umbrella of the new “Pacific Fund” and began awarding Pacific Fund Grants to deserving under-
graduates by the spring of 2007. He then helped secure the largest gift in school history in May 2007 as the University announced a $100 million bequest from the estate of Robert and Jeanette Powell. Ultimately, by the time the gift was received by the University in 2013, the Powell’s estate had grown in value to $125 million.
Since Leland has taken the helm, the Tigers have taken home four conference titles, while qualifying for postseason competition 12 times. Included in those performances was an outstanding run by Pacific Men’s Water Polo in 2013, which saw the Tigers ranked No. 1 in the nation for four weeks and advancing to the NCAA National Championship game. Pacific Women’s Basketball has been on an outstanding run over the last four years, winning a Big West Conference title and advancing to the WNIT in four straight years.
Devoted to service in college athletics and his community, Leland is Board Chair of the Sutter Health Valley Area Safety and Quality and Credentials Committee. He is also a board member of San Joaquin Partnership, the San Joaquin Community Foundation Board, and the Sutter Health Valley Area Medical Affairs Committee. He is former chair for Stockton Unified School District-Measure C & Q Citizen Oversight Committee and the USA Volleyball Foundation Board. He has also served as a member of the National Advisory Board of the Positive Coaching Alliance, Miracle Mile Improvement Association Board of Directors, and USA Volleyball Board of Directors.
In addition to Stanford and Pacific, Leland was also the Athletic Director at Dartmouth College form 1983-89. His other career stops have included Northwestern University, where he was a senior Associate Athletic Director from 1981-83, and the University of Houston as an Assistant Athletic Director from 1979-81. He was an assistant football coach and instructor of physical education at Stanford, 1978-79.
Leland grew up in Northern California, graduated from Hayward High School, and later attended Chabot College. He earned both his Bachelor’s (1970) and Master’s (1972) degrees from the University of the Pacific, prior to adding a Ph.D. from Stanford in 1982 in education/sports psychology.
As Ted continues a remarkable career, he has been inducted into the Hall of Fame of eight different organizations, including University of the Pacific, Chabot College, and Stanford University.
Leland and his wife, Stefanie, have two adult children: Amanda and Bo. Bo is married to Becky Bonner Leland and has a daughter, Emeline Kathryn Leland.
