By Rich Kaipust
World-Herald Staff Writer
Harold Cliff came to Omaha for 18 months but now will be staying for at least 36 more.
The chief operating officer for the 2008 U.S. Olympic Swim Trials has been named president of the Omaha Sports Commission. Cliff recently returned from the Summer Olympics in Beijing and officially takes over Monday.
Cliff, under contract for the U.S. Trials until October, was approached for the Omaha Sports Commission position after Dan Morrissey resigned last month.
“To be honest, there’s so much potential here that’s untapped,” Cliff said. “There are a lot of things we’d like to do.”
Cliff said he signed a three-year contract that included options for renewals at various times. Omaha Sports Commission Chairman Harley Schrager said the executive board stopped short of seeking applicants for the position when mutual interest developed.
Morrissey has been the only president of the Omaha Sports Commission since its establishment in 2003. Under his watch, and in conjunction with completion of Qwest Center Omaha, the city has drawn the U.S. Trials, NCAA basketball and two NCAA volleyball final fours.
One of Cliff’s first priorities will be trying to secure the 2012 U.S. Trials for Omaha.
“Not all of that is in our hands, as you can appreciate, such as pool sponsorship and dates the coaches want,” he said. “But one of our major goals is to bring that back into town.”
Cliff, 57, has a host of international contacts from 30 years of sports and event management. He admits that he will have to start from scratch with the NCAA.
“But the city has great resources with people who have great contacts, established contacts (with the NCAA),” Cliff said, pointing to the roles Creighton, UNO and Nebraska play in executing bids for events. “We’ll establish good working relationships with those institutions.”
Schrager said Omaha’s contacts with the NCAA are longstanding and well-established.
“I don’t think they’re reliant on any one individual,” Schrager said. “I think they know Omaha is willing and capable of staging events.”
Cliff worked closely the past year with Schrager, who also was chairman of the 2008 U.S. Trials. Schrager said Cliff can strengthen Omaha’s reputation as a major player among cities competing for amateur sports events.
“It’s not often you run across a skilled professional like Harold with the kind of experience he’s had around the globe staging events,” Schrager said. “It has primarily been swimming events, but after watching him over a long time operate and manage the Trials, you see that he would be able to do that with any sport.”
Cliff managed the swimming World Championships in both 2007 (Melbourne) and 2005 (Montreal), and was a consultant for a number of other international events. His 12 years with Swimming Canada included the final seven as CEO.
As OSC president, Cliff first will take inventory of the city’s facilities and resources, then an inventory of who runs what. Another focus will be on community-based sports and being in closer contact with the amateur sports groups to gauge what they would prefer to see come to Omaha.
Cliff also would like to see Omaha not just bid for events but “do the spade work” to initiate activities, such as creating invitationals.
The Canadian will maintain his residence in Omaha and commute, on occasion, to his home in Ottawa. Cliff had opportunities to stay in places such as Melbourne after finishing temporary jobs, but said he never felt as strongly as he does about Omaha.
“It’s one of those communities that really grows on you,” he said. “It’s a special place.”
