Nicole Corcoran, longtime press secretary to Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, will become Kansas University Athletic Director Lew Perkins’ chief of staff, it was announced Wednesday.

Corcoran leaves a state job paying $89,175 per year, according to state records. She will now be an employee of Kansas Athletics Inc., which is not a state agency. Calls to Kansas Athletics seeking information about Corcoran’s new salary, which will be funded by private donations and other non-state revenues, and about the decision to create this new position were not returned.

In a prepared statement released by KU Athletics, Perkins said, “I’m very excited to be able to attract someone of Nicole’s skills to coordinate my activities and the increased demands on my time. She will be a real asset to our team here at Kansas.”

Sebelius said, “This is an incredible opportunity for Nicole and a wonderful hire for my friend, Lew Perkins. She will be very hard to replace in our office, but the chance to serve in this newly created position was too good an opportunity to turn down.”

Corcoran starts Feb. 2. She is a graduate of Washburn University and received the 2005 Outstanding Alumnus award from Washburn’s Mass Media Department.

Corcoran’s move from Sebelius’ office is the first major departure since Sebelius announced Dec. 6 that she was taking herself out of consideration for a possible position in President-elect Barack Obama’s cabinet. Sebelius’ term as governor runs through 2010, and there has been much speculation on what she will do next.

Corcoran, 37, is one of Sebelius’ longest-serving aides. She worked for her in 1999 as public information officer when Sebelius was the state insurance commissioner and became communications director and press secretary for Sebelius when she was elected governor in 2002.

Corcoran said she was “really excited about this new challenge. I’ve been humbled to be part of such an incredible team led by Kathleen Sebelius, and now am moving to a new adventure with Lew Perkins and the Jayhawks.”