How to Become an Athletic Director

May 6, 2025

For many aspiring to support athletes as they work toward championships, global renown, and personal peak performance, two main career paths that stick out include coaching roles and athletic directorships. But for those who aspire to become true leaders and want to coordinate all aspects of an athletic department rather than be on the field, becoming an athletic director is the ultimate goal.

Athletic directors can work in athletic departments at nearly every academic level. We will focus on the top of the ladder: college sports. University athletic directors are highly motivated leaders, who are dedicated to improving athletic and organizational outcomes at their schools. In this article, we will cover everything you need to know about becoming an athletic director at the college level, including:

• What athletic directors do
• How you can become an athletic director
• What qualifications you need 
• The importance of soft skills for athletic directors
• Some of the specific types of athletic director roles

What Does an Athletic Director Do?

Athletic directors oversee the entirety of an athletic department, and they work with coaches, instructors, other leaders, and administrative staff to ensure that students can succeed both athletically and academically. This is a big responsibility accompanied by many important tasks, from monitoring legal concerns like Name, Image, and Likeness to managing a university’s athletic budget to checking in with coaches.

Athletic directors support academic outcomes and athletic outcomes. Under the leadership of Athletic Director Scott Stricklin, 81% of Florida student-athletes earned spots on 2023-24 Southeastern Conference Academic Honor Rolls. And, a dozen national championships and 42 conference titles have been added to UF’s impressive athletic history during his tenure.

This is a leadership role — similar to running a company — where it’s important to:

• Support the various parties within an athletic department by providing resources
• Align coaches, teams, student-athletes, and overall athletic programs with the broad mission and reputation of the university
• Have the ability to adapt to the fast-paced, ever-changing environment of college sports

In addition, athletic directors are collaborative. They may act as an intermediary between top-level university leadership and their direct reports in the athletic department, especially when it comes to communicating about budgets, outcomes and performance, compliance issues, and overall program management. Within the athletic department, athletic directors will collaborate with coaches and fellow leaders to manage the operation and performance of the department.

It is also important to note that the responsibilities of a college athletic director will vary by the size of the school, as well as what division or conference their sports teams are competing in. For those aspiring to become an athletic director at the largest, most high-performing universities, it is important to be aware that running an athletic department in these environments can be like running a major company. 

How Do I Become an Athletic Director?

Becoming an athletic director doesn’t happen overnight. High-level leadership roles in sport management require both experience and education. And, for university athletic directors, it is especially key to have a great education and substantial experience in the sport industry. These are some of the basic steps that are necessary to achieve this role:

1. Determine exactly what you want to do. Athletic directors come in all shapes and sizes, even on the college level. So, you should make sure you know what level you want to work at. Do you want to be the director of athletics at a Power 5 university? Then your journey will be much different from those looking to become an associate athletic director at a community college or junior college.
2. Earn the right qualifications, education, and certifications. You’ll need to obtain at least a bachelor’s degree to become an athletic director. Given how competitive the college sport industry is, additional qualifications like a master’s degree in sport management and relevant certifications will make you more marketable. 
3. Land your first role and build experience. Once you have the right education, you’ll need the right resume. Many athletic directors start their careers as coaches or athletic instructors, but these days the experience of an athletic director is a lot more variable. You might start as a PR, marketing, or administration professional in the sport industry and then work your way up over time. 
4. Develop a strong, supportive network of sport professionals. Most colleges (especially large, high-performing universities) end up hiring athletic directors through networking, rather than posting a job listing. Attending sport networking events, participating in conferences, and getting connected with your university’s student and alumni networks are great ways to start your network. For those who work in college athletic administration, the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) and National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (NIAAA) are essential networks to join.

UF M.S. in Sport Management students and alumni have access to GatorToGator, a unique social network that allows members of the UF sport management community to develop a valuable professional network.

What Education and Qualifications You Need To Be an Athletic Director

Athletic directors do not have strict employment requirements and may have a wide variety of education levels and credentials. Given the scarcity of university athletic directorships, it is important to make yourself as competitive as possible through advanced education and recognized industry credentials.

A master’s degree is a great way to boost your resume and gain valuable skills. Aspiring athletic directors can consider a variety of leadership focused degrees, such as an MBA or an M.S. in Sport Management. While an MBA will certainly provide you with the leadership skills that athletic directors need, these degrees are more geared toward those wanting to work in traditional business environments. A Master of Science in Sport Management degree, such as the one offered by the University of Florida, will specifically provide you with administrative proficiency, leadership skills, and operational expertise all tailored specifically to the sport industry.

In addition to an M.S. in Sport Management, industry-recognized certifications and microcredentials can provide you with focused expertise in specific areas of athletic administration and sport management. For example, the NIAAA offers a certification program that can help athletic administrators gain expertise through six levels of certification. 

Soft Skills for Athletic Directors

While technical skills like budgeting and risk management are very important to athletic directors, soft skills are critical as well. Since they oversee the entire athletic department, college athletic directors need to communicate effectively, lead from a middle management position, and develop effective strategies for the department. In addition, athletic directors can’t be only business experts: they need an expert-level understanding of the sport industry. 

Here are some more details about the importance of three crucial soft skills for athletic directors:

• Leadership and management: Management for athletic directors involves delegating tasks, communicating with subordinates and superiors, and developing effective strategies for recruitment or department structures. The UF online M.S. in Management curriculum includes Management and Leadership in Sport, which provides students with a foundation in leadership that is specifically geared to the sport environment.
• Communication: Athletic directors collaborate with a wide variety of stakeholders. They need to be able to communicate with high-level university administrators with just as much skill as they communicate with coaches and student-athletes. 
• Sports and athletic knowledge: Athletic directors make decisions that can impact coaches, students, athletes, and the overall performance of teams, so it’s important to have a deep understanding of sports and athletics. Since college athletic directors oversee all sport programs — not just the most popular ones — they should have at least a basic understanding of all the sports their university offers. 

Types of Athletic Director Roles

The title of “athletic director” isn’t as singular as it sounds; there are many different types of athletic director roles. While we have focused specifically on head athletic director positions in university settings, some individuals may pursue athletic director roles in public or private middle schools, high schools, and even community colleges.

You also aren’t limited to the title “athletic director.” There are a variety of athletic director (or adjacent) roles with different titles and responsibilities. Some of these roles may include: 

• Assistant/associate athletic directors support effective communication between stakeholders, leaders, athletes, and coaches. This role involves delegation, communication, and strategy development regarding programs and scheduling. 
• Athletic directors of development oversee the development team within an athletic department or program. They are responsible for fundraising and gifting initiatives to grow departments and ensure that athletic programs have the financial resources they need to succeed. 
• Vice chancellors of athletics are high-level administrators, usually in universities, who are responsible for an institution’s pursuit of athletic excellence. Their roles may involve establishing long-term development goals, overseeing the entire athletics department, and managing the athletic department’s leadership and coaching teams on a high level. 

Start Changing the Game With UF's Online M.S. in Sport Management

The online Master of Science in Sport Management from University of Florida equips students to take on complex financial and administrative challenges in the world of sport. The comprehensive sport management curriculum can help you develop your skills as a multi-talented professional who is ready to break into this field.

UF is a sports powerhouse whose top-tier faculty have firsthand insight into every facet of the industry. UF’s large alumni population and student support services also offer highly valuable networking and professional development opportunities. With options like the Gator-to-Gator alumni social network and specialized career coaching with internationally recognized industry professionals, a UF graduate will start their sport career on the right foot.

Through core courses that include Sport Marketing and Management and Leadership in Sport and electives such as Sport Sponsorship and Athlete Development, you will gain in-depth knowledge of the business of sport. You will also have the opportunity to pursue a graduate certificate in Sport Event Management or in a specialization in the area of Athlete Development, High Performance Coaching, Sport Law, or Director of Racquet Sports.

Learn more by downloading a brochure, or start your application today.