Patrick Hobbs
A New Jersey native with more than 25 years of leadership experience in higher education and public service, Pat Hobbs enters his sixth year as the Director of Athletics at Rutgers University in 2020-21.
The upward trajectory of the athletic department continued to soar in 2019-20 with a historic campaign on the hardwood for the men’s basketball programs. With their first 20-win season in 37 years and a ranking in the Top-25 poll for the first time in 41 years, men’s basketball sat on the cusp of earning its first NCAA Tournament berth since 1991. A record 10 sold-out games at the RAC in 2019-20 are evidence of the energy and excitement for the program under head coach Steve Pikiell.
Scheduled to open in December of 2020, the Gary and Barbara Rodkin Academic Success Center will serve all student-athletes and provide a range of resources, including academic advising, learning specialists, one-on-one and group tutoring. The state-of-the-art facility will house the men’s and women’s soccer and lacrosse programs, and the department administration.
In the consumer space, Hobbs shepherded the partnership between Rutgers and adidas, providing that the Portland-based company serves as the official athletic footwear, apparel and accessory brand through 2023-24.
Prior to joining Rutgers, Hobbs served as Ombudsman to the Office of the Governor in the Christie administration, serving as a resource for whistleblowers within the Office. He also oversaw ethics training and guidance to the 140 employees in the Office of the Governor.
Hobbs moved south down the New Jersey Turnpike after notable achievements at Seton Hall University. He joined the Seton Hall Law faculty in 1990 with a specialty in tax law. Hobbs became Associate Dean for Finance in 1995 and was named Dean in 1999, a position he held until 2015. From 2009 to 2011 Hobbs also oversaw Seton Hall’s Department of Athletics, bringing new leadership to its men’s and women’s basketball programs, restructuring the Department, and negotiating the contract with the Prudential Center to serve as the home site for men’s basketball game.
Prior to joining Seton Hall Law, Hobbs was a tax attorney with the law firm of Shanley & Fisher in Roseland, N.J. He received his B.A. in accounting, magna cum laude, from Seton Hall University, his J.D. from the University of North Carolina and his LL.M. (in taxation) from New York University.
Hobbs, 59, is the proud father of three children and resides in Basking Ridge, N.J. with wife Patrice.
