Athletics Director
About UC San Diego
Founded in 1960, UC San Diego is an R1 institution and one of the top 20 research universities in the world. The campus is located along the scenic California coastline on approximately 1,200 acres of woodland in La Jolla, California. UC San Diego offers 12 divisions and schools and over 140 undergraduate majors. UC San Diego’s mission is to transform California and a diverse global society by educating, by generating and disseminating knowledge and creative works, and by engaging in public service. All undergraduate students are equipped to succeed and support this mission through supplemental learning, faculty-mentored research opportunities, student success coaches, and more. Faculty members conduct research that changes lives locally and globally, while staff members unite to better the local community through hundreds of hours of volunteer work. UC San Diego is home for 45,000+ graduate and undergraduate students and is the second largest residential campus in the country.
UC San Diego offers more than 750 registered student organizations, ensuring there is something for everyone to be involved in. Named the top surfing school in the nation by Surfer Magazine, the Surf Club at UC San Diego is one of many options for students looking to get involved on campus. UC San Diego is also a destination for cutting-edge, contemporary art. There are various arts centers including the Conrad Prebys Music Center, the La Jolla Playhouse, the Mandeville Center, and the Suraj Israni Center for Cinematic Arts. The Epstein Family Amphitheater, the Stuart Art Collection and the Craft Center provide numerous opportunities for world-class public arts engagement. All of these venues host various concerts, musicals, and cinematic arts performances. These organizations foster community, leadership development, and personal growth, while encouraging civic engagement and creativity.
Tradition at UC San Diego is a unique blend of innovation and community, reflecting the university’s bold spirit and youthful energy. While UC San Diego is known for pushing boundaries and redefining the future, it also embraces traditions that unite students, faculty, and alumni. Signature events like the Sun God Festival, Watermelon Drop, and the annual UnOlympics bring the campus together in celebration, fostering Triton pride and a sense of belonging. These traditions, both long-standing and evolving, create lasting memories and reinforce the strong, supportive community that defines the UC San Diego experience. Athletics engagement, through the Triton Tide, is a growing tradition.
About the Position and UC San Diego Athletics
UC San Diego's scholar-athletes compete as members of the Big West Conference and continue to set a high bar for early Division I achievement. In their first season of eligibility, both the men's and women's basketball teams won the Big West Conference and advanced to the NCAA Tournament—making UC San Diego the first institution to have both teams qualify for March Madness in their first year of eligibility. Prior to joining Division I, the Tritons were one of the most successful and decorated programs in NCAA Division II history. The Department of Athletics continues to be guided by core values of excellence, strength of character, teamwork, ethical conduct, and diversity—values that are inextricably linked to UC San Diego’s educational mission and student-centered ethos.
UC San Diego’s recent transition to NCAA Division I competition has ushered in a new era of momentum, visibility, and opportunity for the university. As one of the world’s leading public research institutions, UC San Diego is uniquely positioned to reimagine the student-athlete experience by aligning elite athletics with its renowned culture of academic excellence, innovation, and public impact. The Department of Athletics is leveraging this moment to establish a distinct model for Division I success—one that integrates cutting-edge research, high-performance training, and cross-campus collaboration to drive competitive excellence and student development.
With overall responsibility for the direction and oversight of all intercollegiate athletics staff, facilities, and activities, the Athletics Director serves as a strategic architect of UC San Diego’s 24-sport, broad-based NCAA Division I program—home to approximately 600 scholar-athletes. The AD develops and implements strategic plans, policies, and initiatives that promote scholar-athlete success, enhance fan engagement, expand community outreach, and foster a culture of competitive excellence and inclusion. The Athletics Director is recognized as an influential leader across campus, providing authoritative guidance on the role and growth of intercollegiate athletics within the broader institutional mission.
UC San Diego’s commitment to research-driven innovation is reflected in its participation as one of six institutions in the Wu Tsai Human Performance Alliance—a $220 million philanthropic investment by the Joe and Clara Tsai Foundation. This public-private initiative brings together scientists, clinicians, engineers, coaches, and athletes from across UC San Diego, Stanford University, Boston Children’s Hospital (a Harvard Medical School affiliate), the University of Kansas, the University of Oregon, and the Salk Institute for Biological Studies to advance the science of athletic performance and improve lifelong human health. UC San Diego’s inclusion in this alliance demonstrates its leadership in integrating athletics with cross-disciplinary research and global impact.
Significant investments in infrastructure and technology further highlight UC San Diego’s strategic approach to Division I athletics. The campus features ten athletic venues, including the 4,000-seat LionTree Arena and the state-of-the-art Alex G. Spanos Athletic Performance Center. As part of its Division I transition, the university partnered with Anthony James Partners to develop a cutting-edge broadcast technology facility—featuring three fully connected control rooms that enable simultaneous live, multi-camera coverage of athletic events across campus. These capabilities, alongside the Dana Chaiken Production Studio, position UC San Diego as a national leader in live sports production among mid-major Division I institutions and create valuable experiential learning opportunities for students interested in sports media and production.
Duties and Responsibilities
● Champion the university’s unique scholar-athlete identity, building school spirit, celebrating athletic and academic excellence, and positioning UC San Diego as a national model for innovation and integrity in collegiate athletics.
● Serve as the primary advisor to the Executive Leaders on all NCAA and Big West Conference matters, providing strategic counsel on policy, governance, and compliance while representing UC San Diego’s interests with vision and integrity.
● Represent the university at NCAA and Big West Conference meetings and events, advocating for the institution’s values and priorities while ensuring full compliance with all governing bodies.
● Lead and innovate a comprehensive fundraising and revenue generation strategy that aligns with the department’s evolving priorities—including support for Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) initiatives—while driving long-term sustainability. Partner across campus with University Development, Alumni Affairs, and academic units, and cultivate external relationships with donors, alumni, and community organizations to identify new philanthropic opportunities, strengthen donor stewardship, and expand the department’s resource base through creative and mission-aligned engagement efforts.
● Provide forward-looking strategic direction, establishing and executing short- and long-term goals that align with the university’s aspirations for competitive excellence, institutional identity, and scholar-athlete success.
● Oversee all department communications and brand positioning, including media relations, storytelling, and digital content, to elevate UC San Diego Athletics locally, regionally, and nationally.
● Ensure full compliance with NCAA, Big West, and UC system regulations and policies, cultivating a culture of transparency, accountability, and institutional integrity.
● Develop a strategic partnership with Enrollment Management and collaborate closely with Academic Affairs to support the recruitment, retention, and holistic success of scholar-athletes. Ensure all efforts are aligned with UC San Diego’s rigorous academic standards, while advancing shared goals around student development, academic integrity, and institutional excellence.
● Partner with UC San Diego Health and Student Affairs and Campus Life to oversee the continued development and execution of scholar-athlete support systems, including academic advising, life skills programming, and mental health resources, to foster holistic scholar-athlete development and high graduation rates in coordination with campus offices to ensure seamless support services.
● Partner with Student Affairs and Campus Life to manage and direct multiple large and complex operations, including multimillion-dollar budgets, scheduling, travel, and shared facilities, while building the infrastructure necessary for sustained Division I success, while ensuring compliance with NCAA regulations and university policies.
● Foster a high-performing, values-driven departmental culture, serving as a mentor to coaches and staff, many of whom are long-tenured, while thoughtfully assessing and evolving the organizational structure to meet Division I standards.
● Strengthen relationships with key internal and external stakeholders, including scholar-athletes, coaches, faculty, staff, alumni, donors, community leaders, and university leadership, to unify and amplify institutional support for athletics.
● Partner with the Athletics Director Emeritus and the Vice Chancellor of Advancement and her team to raise funds in support of the Athletics program.
● Partner with the Chief Communications and Marketing Officer on issues management and crisis communication strategies that protect and enhance the reputation of UC San Diego and its athletics programs.
● Collaborate with Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion to embed inclusive excellence into all aspects of the scholar athlete experience, including recruitment, team culture, leadership development, and community development and engagement, ensuring alignment with UCSD’s commitment to social justice, anti-racism, and equitable student success.
● During times of challenge or change, ensuring that the reputation of the university and its athletics programs remain strong and positive.
Qualifications:
● Bachelor's degree in related area and / or equivalent experience / training with a college-level program; advanced degree is preferred.
● Minimum of 8-10 years of extensive experience in intercollegiate athletics, including at least 3-5 years in an administrative role, demonstrating proven leadership experience managing a successful athletics program that supports both academic and athletic excellence as an athletic director, assistant athletic director, or equivalent senior-level role within a collegiate athletic department, Division I experience is preferred.
● Outstanding leadership abilities and interpersonal skills to work effectively with a diverse client and high-level management group.
● Ability to maintain positive relationships with diverse stakeholders, while promoting and achieving campus goals in diversity, equal employment opportunity, and affirmative action.
● Ability to multi-task effectively.
● Demonstrated experience working with advisory boards and work groups.
● Demonstrated experience with program fundraising.
● Demonstrates sound judgment and decision-making.
● Effective problem solver and effectively communicates verbally and in writing.
● Ability to exercise independent judgment, initiative, tact, diplomacy, flexibility and patience.
● Ability to sustain a high level of energy and enthusiasm for advancing ideas and programs in a university environment.
● Advanced knowledge of the intercollegiate athletics function and philosophies and objectives of NCAA programs.
● Knowledge of structure of athletic organizations and conferences.
● Ability to present programs and teams to the media in a positive manner.
● Demonstrated commitment to the principles of inclusion, diversity and equity.
● Demonstrated ability to operate with a strong sense of ethical conduct that will inspire confidence and motivation in colleagues, the campus community and prospective donors.
● Ability to travel as demanded by responsibilities in role.
● Ability to have flexible work hours including evening and weekend commitments.
● Demonstrated ability to fulfill fiduciary responsibilities.
Application Process
The University of California, San Diego invites nominations and applications or expressions of interest to be submitted to the search firm assisting the University. Applications should include a cover letter, current resume or curriculum vitae, and a list of professional references. For full consideration, application materials should be submitted to Parker Executive Search’s website by July 21, 2025. Confidential review of materials will begin immediately and continue until the appointment is made.
For additional information, please contact:
Daniel Parker, Vice President and Managing Director
DeLaina Sarden, Principal
Gray McGee, Executive Recruiting Coordinator
danielparker@parkersearch.com | dsarden@parkersearch.com | gmcgee@parkersearch.com
Parker Executive Search
770-804-1996 ext. 119 | 770-804-1996 ext. 132
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The University prohibits discrimination against any person employed; seeking employment; or applying for or engaged in a paid or unpaid internship or training program leading to employment with the University of California based on protected characteristics. This policy applies to all employment practices. The University prohibits harassment based on protected characteristics of an employee, applicant, paid or unpaid intern, volunteer, person participating in a program leading to employment, or person providing services pursuant to a contract. Protected characteristics include: race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender, gender expression, gender identity, gender transition status, pregnancy, physical or mental disability, medical condition (cancer-related or genetic characteristics), genetic information (including family medical history), ancestry, marital status, age, sexual orientation, citizenship, or service in the uniformed services, including protected veterans. The University policy prohibits retaliation for bringing a complaint of discrimination or harassment pursuant to this policy. The policy also prohibits retaliation against a person who assists someone with a complaint of discrimination or harassment, or participates in any manner in an investigation or resolution of a complaint of discrimination or harassment. Retaliation includes threats, intimidation, reprisals, and/or adverse actions related to employment.