Celebration of Life for Jim Riordan Set for April 28

The College of Business will hold a Celebration of Life on April 28 for Jim Riordan, Ph.D., who founded FAU’s MBA in Sport Management Program in 2000.

The event will take place at 5 p.m. on the Hyundai Deck at FAU Stadium. Food and beverages will be provided. Please RSVP here.

In his honor, the College of Business has established the Dr. Jim Riordan Student Support Endowment. He helped his students in many ways, including supporting them financially with his own money.

This fund will assist the sport management students. Donations can be made here.

“Students who graduate from the MBA in Sport Management program are prepared to meet real-world workforce challenges, and that’s because of Dr. Riordan’s rigorous curriculum and passion for excellence,” said Daniel Gropper, dean of the College of Business. “We are saddened by his sudden passing but look forward to his Celebration of Life, where we will share many wonderful memories and reflect on the towering legacy he leaves.”

Last year, the FAU program was ranked No. 19 among the world’s top 40 postgraduate sports management degrees. The ranking by SportBusiness, a London-based global intelligence service, improved 11 spots from the prior year.

FAU’s program never has finished lower than No. 30 in the world rankings.

To augment classroom instruction, Riordan regularly organized presentations for his students, attracting celebrities, coaches and executives. Recent speakers included: former Duke University women’s basketball coach Joanne P. McCallie and Richard Krezwick, a renowned stadium and arena executive. 

Some of the organizations that have hired FAU sport management students include: the Miami Dolphins, Miami Heat, the Boston Bruins, the University of Miami Hurricanes, the LPGA and the Atlantic Coast Conference.

FAU Football Coach Willie Taggart tweeted a tribute to Riordan, noting his extensive support for the football program.

“Dr. Jim Riordan and FAU will always be synonymous with each other,” Taggart wrote.  

-FAU-