April 20, 2018
NOTRE DAME, Ind. — University of Notre Dame alumnus John J. Arlotta and his wife, Barbara (Bobbie), from Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, have made a $5 million gift to his alma mater to endow the Notre Dame football team’s offensive coordinator position.
“We are truly grateful to the Arlotta family — John and Bobbie, in particular — for their generous benefaction endowing the offensive coordinator coaching position for the Notre Dame football program,” said Jack Swarbrick, vice president and James E. Rohr director of athletics. “This gift reflects the confidence of both Notre Dame and the Arlottas in the direction of our football program under head coach Brian Kelly. It also allows us to make additional strategic decisions in terms of devoting financial resources in ways that will benefit football here at the University in years to come.”
The Arlottas’ gift will help to underwrite the salary of the coach, provide stability and resources for the long term and create funds for use within the department. Chip Long, now in his second season at Notre Dame, is the first John and Bobbie Arlotta Family Offensive Coordinator.
“Our football program is extremely appreciative of this gracious gift from the Arlotta family. Chip is certainly honored by the gesture,” said Brian Kelly, the Dick Corbett Head Football Coach. “John and Bobbie are wonderful, and they’re a tremendous example of the type of people that we’re blessed to meet at the University of Notre Dame.”
Long added: “I am extremely humbled by the generous gift that Mr. and Mrs. Arlotta have provided the University–in particular the football program. I’ve had the pleasure to get to know both of them over my time at Notre Dame. They’re an incredibly welcoming couple that not only love this University, but believe strongly in everything it stands for. This gift is a true representation of that love and commitment.”
John Arlotta is a 1971 graduate of Notre Dame who majored in marketing with a minor in transportation management. He was in the Army ROTC at Notre Dame and is a retired captain in the U.S. Army Reserves.
“Bobbie and I are so thankful to be able to support coach Kelly and the Notre Dame football program,” John Arlotta said. “From our experience owning a professional lacrosse team, we know that the difference between winning and losing is often found in the little things, or what we call the extra 1 percent. It is our sincere hope that this gift adds an extra 1 percent that helps coach Kelly and coach Long bring a national championship back to Notre Dame.”
Bobbie Arlotta added: “I am so pleased that John and I have been able to aid Notre Dame student-athletes over the years, first in lacrosse and now in football. Our relationship with the Notre Dame lacrosse and football programs has been a true blessing.”
With more than 45 years in the healthcare industry, Arlotta is the chief executive officer of eviCore, a healthcare management firm that provides custom strategies and services designed to control costs and assist clients in ensuring higher quality care for patients. His wide-ranging business experience includes large and small companies that were both publicly and privately held, and he has managed start-ups, turnarounds and growth organizations.
Arlotta previously served as special advisor to the growth equity firm General Atlantic and the private equity firm MTS Partners; chairman, president and CEO of Coram Inc., a provider of home infusion and specialty pharmacy services; chairman, president and CEO of pharmaceutical products and services provider NeighborCare; president and CEO of Caremark Rx; and chair, president and CEO of HealthCall Corp. He began his career at Chicago-based Baxter International, serving in a variety of sales, marketing and general management positions.
A Philadelphia native, Bobbie Arlotta earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Delaware and had an 18-year career in sales and marketing management at Independence Blue Cross in her hometown.
The Arlottas also are owners of the Georgia Swarm of the National Lacrosse League (NLL), an indoor professional league composed of eleven teams in the United States and Canada. John was selected as the league’s executive of the year in 2009 and general manager of the year in 2012 and 2017. In 2017, the Swarm won the NLL Championship. He has served as chairman of the Board of Governors of the National Lacrosse League, and currently is vice chairman.
The family provided the lead gifts for the construction of Notre Dame’s Arlotta Stadium, home to the men’s and women’s lacrosse teams. John and Bobbie also are members of the Rockne Athletics Fund, and John serves on the University’s Advisory Council for the Student-Athlete.
The Arlottas are the parents of three adult children, Mindy, Andy and Jon Arlotta, and have six grandchildren.
Long is a 2006 graduate of the University of North Alabama, where he was a four-year letter-winner at tight end. He came to Notre Dame in 2017 from the University of Memphis, where he served for one year as offensive coordinator. His previous coaching stops include Arizona State University, the University of Illinois and as a graduate assistant at the University of Arkansas.
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From: Dennis Brown, assistant vice president for news and media relations