Chief Executive Officer, Louisiana Athletics

Position Title : Chief Executive Officer, Louisiana Athletics

Department : 8911|General Athletics

Responsibilities

Position Summary: The University of Louisiana at Lafayette, a Carnegie R1 public research university, seeks a proven enterprise leader to serve as Chief Executive Officer of Louisiana Athletics. Reporting directly to the President and serving on the President’s Cabinet, the CEO will lead the strategy, financial sustainability, commercial growth, philanthropy, brand, partnerships, facilities, competitive investment, and public leadership of an NCAA Division I program in the Sun Belt Conference.

The CEO will turn the Ragin’ Cajuns’ distinctive identity, loyal supporters, facilities, and community ties into sustained net revenue, stronger student and fan engagement, and broad competitive success. The role calls for urgent financial and cultural transformation, measurable results, sound judgment, and an unwavering commitment to student‑athlete welfare, academic achievement, and integrity. An Athletic Director/Chief Operating Officer reporting to the CEO will manage day‑to‑day athletics operations under delegated authority; the CEO retains final executive accountability for the enterprise.

Key Responsibilities

Enterprise Leadership and Financial Stewardship

• Develop and execute a financially grounded, three‑year strategy aligned with the President’s Louisiana Vision 2035 priorities and the University’s mission; lead the senior athletics team and establish clear decision rights with the Athletic Director/COO.
• Own budgets, multi‑year forecasts, revenue‑sharing obligations, contracts, staffing, capital priorities, and enterprise risk; strengthen controls, procurement, expense accountability, and transparent reporting.
• Establish verified baselines and measure recurring net revenue, operating performance, and institutional support using consistent accounting that distinguishes cash from commitments and one‑time gains from durable improvement.
• Recruit, develop, evaluate, and hold accountable high‑performing leaders; make difficult personnel and resource decisions with urgency and integrity.

Revenue Growth and External Partnerships

• Integrate ticketing, pricing, premium seating, sponsorships, multimedia rights, licensing, philanthropy, naming rights, hospitality, parking, events, digital products, and new ventures around net contribution and renewal.
• Personally cultivate major donors, corporate partners, sponsors, and community leaders; coordinate prospect management, brand strategy, and revenue attribution with the Ragin Cajun Athletics Foundation, University Advancement and Strategy, and Communications and Marketing.
• Evaluate public‑private partnerships and other capital or commercial opportunities with disciplined risk analysis and measurable returns.

Student, Fan and Community Engagement

• Make athletics central to student life and build a distinctly Ragin’ Cajun game‑day and year‑round culture that increases student participation, attendance, football and basketball demand, season‑ticket retention, and community ownership.
• Use research, pricing, data, storytelling, and digital engagement to deepen fan relationships and increase demand across Acadiana and beyond.

Competitive Excellence and Student‑Athlete Success

• Set sport‑specific expectations for competitive results, academic success and progress, coach performance, roster stability, efficient investment, and student‑athlete experience.
• Oversee strategy for NIL, revenue sharing, recruiting, media, conference positioning, and evolving college athletics economics while protecting health, safety, academic integrity, and NCAA and conference compliance.
• Exercise final executive authority over head‑coach decisions, senior personnel, budgets, competitive investment, major contracts, conference representation, and crisis management.

Facilities and Institutional Collaboration

• Develop a financially sound, year‑round athletics and entertainment strategy for Cajun Field, the Cajundome, premium spaces, parking, hospitality, events, and related assets; evaluate each opportunity by net contribution and community value.
• Collaborate with Finance, Academic Affairs, Student Success, Advancement, alumni, public officials, and conference leadership; represent Louisiana Athletics with credibility and visible community leadership.
• Report progress to the President through a quarterly dashboard of financial, commercial, engagement, competitive, academic, student‑athlete, facility, and leadership outcomes.

This position is equivalent to a vice president position that reports directly to the president.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution.
• Substantial senior leadership experience in intercollegiate or professional sports, sports business, entertainment, corporate enterprise, economic development, advancement, or another complex revenue‑driven organization.
• Verified record of personally leading material revenue growth, financial improvement, or enterprise transformation, with measurable results and references able to confirm the candidate’s direct role.
• Direct accountability for a complex budget or business unit, including revenues, expenses, forecasts, controls, and operating results.
• Demonstrated success in multiple revenue areas such as sponsorship, ticketing, premium seating, philanthropy, naming rights, media rights, licensing, hospitality, facilities, events, or new ventures.
• Experience building senior teams, managing organizational change, and making consequential personnel and resource decisions.
• Ability to lead in a public‑university environment and connect financial growth with competitive priorities, student‑athlete success, compliance, and institutional values; unquestioned integrity.

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced degree and experience as a chief executive, athletics director, chief revenue or business officer, chief operating officer, advancement leader, or comparable enterprise leader.
• Evidence of recurring net‑revenue and demand growth in a resource‑constrained, turnaround, public‑university, or secondary‑market environment.
• Experience leading both sophisticated large‑scale organizations and smaller operations with limited resources.
• Track record in football and basketball demand, donor and corporate partnerships, capital projects, facilities activation, and integrated athletics revenue operations.
• Fluency in NIL, revenue sharing, roster investment, conference strategy, and media rights.
• Louisiana relationships or demonstrated ability to build trust quickly in a distinctive regional culture; readiness to act and deliver results from the outset.

The University of Louisiana at Lafayette is an Equal Opportunity Employer and provides equal opportunity in accordance with applicable law and University policy.

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