Following an extensive search that spanned nearly five months, University of Massachusetts Amherst Chancellor John V. Lombardi announced Tuesday that John F. McCutcheon has been named the school’s sixth permanent director of athletics.

McCutcheon, who was formally introduced at a 3:30 p.m. news conference in the Mullins Center Green Room, comes to Amherst from California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, where he was the director of athletics since 1992.

He will take over a UMass program that has been without a permanent A.D. since Ian McCaw abruptly departed to take the same position at Baylor University in September.

Associate athletic director for external affairs Thorr Bjorn held the position on an interim basis during the search.

“UMass Amherst is delighted to welcome John McCutcheon as permanent director of athletics,” Lombardi said. “He brings a solid record of accomplishment, strong managerial and fund-raising skills, and proven ability to steer our program toward greater success.”

“John is also familiar with the New England sports environment and has all the talents necessary to meet the high expectations of our athletes and staff, students, faculty, fans, and alumni supporters.”

Prior to his tenure at Cal Poly, McCutcheon spent 12 years at Boston College, beginning in 1980 when he was named athletic business manager, and culminating in 1991 when he was named associate athletic director for business and operations, before departing the post for his new position in San Luis Obispo in August of 1992.

Prior to his time at the Heights, McCutcheon was assistant athletic manager at the University of Maine, Orono for three years, beginning in 1977.

He succeeds Curry Starr Hicks (1911-1948), Warren P. McGuirk (1948-1971), Frank McInerney (1972 1992), Robert Marcum (1993-2002), and McCaw (2002-2003) in taking over the athletic department of the state’s flagship university.

“I am extremely honored to have been given the opportunity to be the next athletic director at the University of Massachusetts,” McCutcheon said. “It is my goal to provide the direction, enthusiasm and leadership to make UMass athletics a program in which our students, alumni and supporters can take great pride.”

“I look forward to addressing whatever challenges we may face as we build on the tradition of the University of Massachusetts athletic program.”

McCutcheon earned his Bachelor of Science degree in health, physical education and recreation from Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 1975. He then earned his master of education degree from Ohio University in 1978. He has been a member of the National Association of College Directors of Athletics since 1992, and was a 14-year member of the Collegiate Athletic Business Managers Association until 1992.

While at Cal Poly, McCutcheon oversaw the university’s athletic department’s ascension from Division II to Division I-AA, and also secured membership in the Big West Conference in order to make the move possible.

In addition, he coordinated an athletic facility master plan and began a $20 million capital campaign for improvements of such facilities, which has collected $18 million from private, corporate, state and student sources to date.

“We are delighted that Chancellor Lombardi has appointed John McCutcheon, who won enthusiastic support from the search committee, our coaches, and members of the athletic department staff,” said Susan Pearson, associate provost for faculty relations and the budget and co-chair of the search committee. “John’s experience as AD at an academically distinguished Division I-AA university, his extensive Division I intercollegiate athletic experience, his familiarity with intercollegiate athletics in New England and thorough understanding of the issues facing UMass and intercollegiate athletics generally, and his unquestioned integrity make him the ideal candidate to lead our program.”

He is taking over a UMass athletic department that has experienced its share of turmoil over the last few years, including the departures of two permanent athletic directors since 2002, the recent loss of head football coach Mark Whipple to the NFL’s Pittsburgh Steelers, floundering student support for the University’s 23 varsity athletic teams and the recent implementation of massive statewide budget cuts which forced the program to eliminate seven sports in the past two years, as well as drastically reshape the budgets of several others.

“[Members of the athletic department’s search committee] were up front with me about everything involving the program during the process,” McCutcheon said. “My goal is to be able to stabilize the program and put it in the position to succeed to the point where it remains a source of pride for the University, its students, employees and alumni.”

McCutcheon has been given a five-year contract with a base annual salary of $190,000. If he completes annual program performance goals, as well as other incentives, his base salary could increase by as much as $20,000 per year.