Director of Athletics

About the College

Founded in 1800, Middlebury College (Middlebury) is a premier, highly selective liberal arts institution in Vermont’s Champlain Valley, rooted in a deep tradition of academic excellence, civic engagement, and ethical leadership. The College enrolls approximately 2,600 undergraduates and is distinguished by its global reach, leadership in environmental sustainability, rigorous scholarship, close faculty mentorship, and a deeply engaged campus community, combining intellectual ambition with a commitment to character, service, and global citizenship.

With a curriculum anchored in the liberal arts and an approach to learning responsive to an evolving, increasingly complex world, a Middlebury education is as distinct as it is comprehensive. The College offers a 21st-century global liberal arts education. Scholarship and research are not confined to the classroom or laboratory, or even to a particular field of study. A robust offering of 46 majors, dozens of minors, and academic programs provide students with a diverse range of disciplines to explore and to experience, and each discipline is intended to work in concert with another, fostering an evolution of cross-disciplinary collaboration that is at the heart of the academic experience at Middlebury.

Middlebury’s students may pursue departmental, joint, or interdisciplinary majors and minors, supported by robust advising and experiential programs such the Center for Community Engagement (CCE), Innovation Hub, and Center for Careers and Internships (CCI), all of which connect learning to real-world impact through internships, research, and leadership initiatives.

Middlebury’s academic offerings also include top-quality specialized education beyond the undergraduate college, including graduate education in selected areas of critical importance to a rapidly changing world community. Middlebury’s programs include the Middlebury Language Schools (offering full immersion language study in 12 languages), Middlebury C.V. Starr Schools Abroad (offering study abroad opportunities in more than 40 sites around the world), Middlebury Bread Loaf School of English (an intensive summer master’s and continuing education program for teachers and other professionals), and the Middlebury Bread Loaf Writers’ Conferences (faculty members include some of the world’s most notable writers and translators).

About Middlebury Athletics

Athletics reflects the College’s commitment to holistic student development and community engagement. Middlebury Athletics fosters the pursuit of excellence in training and competition for student-athletes, preparing them for lives of personal growth, lifelong learning, and service. Middlebury is an NCAA Division III institution that sponsors 31 varsity teams—all of which compete in the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC)—with the exception of the men’s and women’s alpine and Nordic ski teams. The ski teams compete in the Eastern Intercollegiate Ski Association and are part of the National Collegiate division within the NCAA, which operates as a single, combined division with teams from Division I, II, and III. Varsity sports include basketball, volleyball, soccer, squash, tennis, lacrosse, football, field hockey, golf, swimming/diving, cross country, indoor and outdoor track and field, baseball, softball, and ice hockey. The Athletics Department also sponsors two club sports: rugby and crew.

Middlebury’s varsity programs boast 49 team national championships, 42 individual NCAA champions, and 123 NESCAC championships—with nearly 27 percent of students participating in varsity athletics and almost 200 competing in multiple sports—a testament to Middlebury’s culture of achievement rooted in integrity and sportsmanship.

Middlebury’s athletic impact extends globally, featuring 42 Olympians and seven Paralympians, collectively earning multiple medals and representing the College with distinction across disciplines from skiing to sailing. Guided by the principles of Respect, Integrity, Teamwork, and Accountability (RITA), the Athletics Department fosters character, leadership, and lifelong values, creating a sense of belonging that supports both competitive excellence and personal growth.

Middlebury’s campus includes state-of-the-art athletic facilities, such as the 11,600-square-foot multilevel fitness center; the Chip Kenyon ’85 Arena, a 2,200-seat ice hockey facility; an Olympic-size natatorium; the Bostwick Family Squash Center; and the 110,000-square-foot Virtue Field House, which features a 21,000-square-foot turf field, a 200-meter track, and other fitness options. There are several outdoor synthetic turf fields for baseball, softball, football, lacrosse, men’s soccer, and field hockey, as well as a new outdoor tennis facility featuring 12 courts, and a recently renovated grass field for women’s soccer. Both students and community members have access to Middlebury’s 18-hole golf course, located on the edge of campus, the Middlebury Snowbowl and Rikert Outdoor Center, and the 18-mile Trail Around Middlebury, which encircles the village of Middlebury. 

This tradition of achievement, combined with Middlebury’s mission of fostering the pursuit of excellence in training and competition for student athletes, preparing them for lives of personal growth, lifelong learning, and service—and the values of respect, integrity, teamwork, and accountability—make Middlebury Athletics a uniquely vibrant environment, one that inspires student-athletes, coaches, staff, and the broader campus community to excel, contribute, and carry forward a proud legacy.

About the Position

Reporting to the Vice President for Academic Affairs, the Director of Athletics is responsible for all aspects of the College’s intercollegiate athletics, physical education, intramural sports, rugby and crew programs, as well as athletic communications in coordination with the Office of Communications and Marketing. As the department’s chief administrator, the Director provides strategic and operational leadership for Middlebury’s comprehensive athletics program and is responsible for developing and implementing policies and managing the department’s budget. The Director is also the principal representative of the College in all matters pertaining to athletics with the campus, community, alumni, and other external constituencies.

Building on Middlebury’s proud tradition of competitive and academic excellence, the Director will guide the continued evolution of a successful department of experienced coaches and dedicated staff. This includes thoughtfully assessing administrative structures and coaching responsibilities to ensure they effectively support the department’s current scope, strategic priorities, and long-term sustainability.

The Director plays a vital role in maintaining and enhancing the educational benefits of a comprehensive athletics program. This position is unique within the institution, as the Director is primarily responsible for monitoring the balance between academics and athletics, ensuring that the demands of a highly competitive intercollegiate athletics program align with the College’s broader academic mission. Working collaboratively with the President, senior administration, faculty, Admissions, Student Affairs, Advancement, Human Resources, Finance, Communications and Marketing, and other campus partners, the Director ensures athletics remains fully aligned with Middlebury’s liberal arts mission and commitment to holistic student development.

As a visible campus and conference leader, the Director represents Middlebury Athletics within NESCAC and NCAA governance and engages alumni, families, trustees, and the broader community. The role offers an opportunity to steward a department rich in tradition while positioning it for continued excellence, innovation, and responsible growth.

The successful candidate for this position must be a proven educator, committed to providing strong leadership both within the athletic department and across campus. They should have a clear and articulate understanding of the positive role of athletics in a rigorous academic environment and be willing to advocate for the place of sports in liberal arts education.

Duties and Responsibilities:

●        Provide visionary leadership that fosters excellence in academics and athletics, while embracing equity in opportunity, good sportsmanship, and ethical conduct at all levels.
 

●        Support and advance Middlebury’s commitment to ensuring an equitable and inclusive learning and working environment by continuing to create and implement new strategies to further foster belonging for the student-athlete, coaches, and administrative staff.
 

●        Oversee all operations of the Athletics Department including management and supervision of head coaches and other administrative and support staff.
 

●        Provide strategic direction by setting goals to stimulate program development, setting policies, and developing and managing a complex budget that supports the department’s priorities.
 

●        Build and maintain relationships with the NESCAC and the NCAA and participate actively in related meetings and activities.
 

●        Ensure compliance with institutional policies, NESCAC and NCAA rules and policies, state and federal laws, and Title IX regulations.
 

●        Establish and maintain effective working relationships and communications with faculty, administrators, staff, students, alumni, and the local community regarding the athletic department’s programs. 
 

●        Cultivate the passion for the student-athlete experience and collaborate with faculty and staff to help students find the necessary balance between athletic endeavors and academic success in a rigorous academic setting.
 

●        Actively contribute to Middlebury committees and campus discussions on a variety of student and institutional issues.
 

●        Recruit, retain, and develop the administrative and coaching staff, promoting their accomplishments and establishing positive morale and relationships.
 

●        Lead the development of the athletics department’s fundraising and engagement goals and strategies, and work closely with the President, Office of Advancement, alumni, parents, and the broader Middlebury community to meet strategic needs and increase financial support for Middlebury’s athletics programs.
 

●        Provide oversight and vision for athletics facility project planning, renovations, and operations.
 

●        Possess high political and business acumen with the ability to navigate and manage the evolving landscape of collegiate athletics.

Desired Qualifications:

●        Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree preferred.

●        Progressive leadership experience in collegiate athletics administration.

●        Demonstrated ability to oversee complex operations, budgeting, and personnel management.

●        Deep understanding of NCAA Division III philosophy and NESCAC conference governance.

●        Strong interpersonal and collaborative leadership skills with the ability to work effectively across constituencies.

●        Demonstrated integrity and adherence to all applicable NCAA, NESCAC, and institutional policies.

Application Process:

Middlebury College invites nominations and applications or expressions of interest to be submitted to the search firm assisting the College. Applications must include a cover letter, resume or curriculum vitae, and list of references. For full consideration, application materials should be submitted to Parker Executive Search’s website by April 16, 2026. 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

Grant Higgison, Principal

Khristian Carr, Executive Recruiting Coordinator

ghiggison@parkersearch.com | kcarr@parkersearch.com

Parker Executive Search

770-804-1996 ext. 118 | 770-804-1996 ext. 134

Middlebury College ("Middlebury") complies with applicable provisions of state and federal law* which prohibit discrimination in employment, or in admission or access to its educational or extracurricular programs, activities, or facilities, on the basis of race, creed, color, place of birth, ancestry, ethnicity, national origin (including language), religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, marital status, service in the armed forces of the United States, positive HIV-related blood test results, genetic information, or against qualified individuals with disabilities on the basis of disability and/or any other status or characteristic as defined and to the extent protected by applicable law. Middlebury also complies with all other anti-discrimination protections that might be provided by particular states in which it operates educational programs; questions about the scope of any such protections should be addressed to the Civil Rights and Title IX Coordinator and/or the on-site administrative representative for the particular program at issue. The Civil Rights and Title IX Coordinator coordinates Middlebury's efforts to comply with any and all federal and state laws that prohibit discrimination on the basis of one or more of the protected characteristics listed above. Complaints about discrimination and harassment are handled in accordance with Middlebury’s Non-Discrimination Policy. Information about the work of the Middlebury College Community Bias response Team is available here. As noted above under Respectful Behavior, retaliation for any complaint of any policy violation is strictly prohibited.