The dream comes true for Joe Hull
In 1985, after three years of working as an attorney, Joe Hull walked away from a successful law practice to follow his heart.
He had gone through his undergraduate days at N.C. State as a walk-on for the Wolfpack golf team. That was promptly followed by law school at Campbell University and a career working as a lawyer in his hometown of Wendell, N.C., outside Raleigh.
He was, by all measurements, a success.
But his heart was still in college.
"I was a partner in a law firm for three years and walked in and told my partners one day that I was 27 years old and if I kept doing what I was doing I was going to do it for the rest of my life," Hull said. "And there was something else that I really believed I wanted to do."
What seemed like a wild idea at the time came to fruition Tuesday when Hull was named director of athletics at the College of Charleston, replacing Jerry Baker who resigned from the job earlier this year.
"This is a dream come true for me," Hull said as he was presented at a noon news conference. "I walked away with the stated goal of someday becoming a director of athletics. I can't tell you that everything was strategic along the way. It's taken a while."
The gamble
Indeed, Hull took a big gamble when he left a lucrative law career to pursue a job in the world of sports.
"I actually quit my job and went back to school for a year to get a master's degree," Hull said of his decision to study sports administration at Ohio University. "I was not married with children at the time, so it was something I could do."
A year later, degree in hand, Hull went back to his alma mater to begin preparing himself for the job he now holds. After working with the Wolfpack Club on fundraising and building that school's basketball arena, Hull moved on to the University of Maryland where he spent another decade doing similar work, raising money and building big buildings.
Married with two teenage children, Hull was a star in College Park. But that dream of being an AD was still beating in his heart.
"The day that (Jerry) Baker resigned, I got a call from a friend telling me this job was going to be available," Hull said. "I sent my application in immediately."
The College of Charleston spent several months mulling over prospective candidates, eventually narrowing the search to five. School president George Benson said any of the five could have done a good job leading the College's athletic program, but Hull's resume stood out.
When the 51-year-old with the soft Southern accent was introduced to the small gathering of staff and faculty, the smile on his face spoke volumes. Right place. Right time. Right guy.
"I am absolutely thrilled to be here," Hull told the crowd.
Stretch marks
Now the work begins.
The College of Charleston is a 237-year-old liberal arts college that has survived revolutions, civil war, world war, hard times, good times, good management, bad management and everything in between.
Once as small as a few hundred students, the College now boasts an enrollment of more than 10,000 and has the stretch marks to prove it.
While the College has always provided a quality education, it's proudest moments came when little-known coach John Kresse took this little-known basketball program to the NCAA Tournament, where it became known as the little college that could.
That, however, was more than a decade ago. Kresse is now retired from the bench and most of that national recognition and momentum retired with him.
By sheer luck, the Cougar program landed former Georgia Tech coach Bobby Cremins as its basketball coach
and the program is on the mend. A new 5,000-seat arena is under construction and the new president has a vision about where the school and its athletic programs are headed.
Joe Hull is part of that vision.
Right decision
"I've been interested in athletics since I was a little boy," Hull said. "When my dad was stationed overseas with the Air Force, I had an uncle who would throw me in the car and we'd go to games all over the place.
"I watched Pete Maravich play basketball in prep school. We'd go to games somewhere every Friday night. And we went to a lot of N.C. State games. I just loved it."
He also enjoyed his days playing on the golf team at State, an experience that gave him an inside look at what goes on in the world of college athletics.
Although his academic aptitude led him to law school, where he met his wife, JoAnn, he never let go of a dream to someday return to athletics.
"I'm not sure she saw my vision as clearly as I did at the time," Hull said, laughing about his decision to leave his law practice and pursue this line of work. "It's been a long time since 1985. No question, if I had stayed a lawyer I would have provided better for my family in the financial world. There were some days when I wondered if I made the right decision."
Tuesday, however, wasn't one of them.
Reach Ken Burger at 937-5598 kburger@postandcourier.com.
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