After a national search, UNC Greensboro (UNCG) today announced that Brian Mackin has been selected as the University’s Athletic Director, which was approved by the Board of Trustees on December 17. He begins his tenure on January 4, 2022.
Mackin comes to UNCG from Conference USA (C-USA) in Dallas, TX, where he served as Deputy Commissioner leading the league’s membership and staff through the implementation of the conference vision and strategic plan. He provided direct operational oversight and also served as liaison to the membership’s athletics directors.
Mackin’s career encompasses high-level corporate experience in the private sector for PNC Bank and Vulcan Materials, among others, along with extensive experience in collegiate and professional athletics.
Mackin spent 13 years with the University of Alabama-Birmingham (UAB) Athletics, including the final eight years as athletics director. During his time leading the department, Mackin oversaw 18 programs, 140 full-time employees, and a $23 million operating budget. Under Mackin’s leadership, UAB won 9 conference championships and had 26 NCAA appearances.
“Brian is a passionate leader who understands collegiate athletics from every angle – as a former student-athlete, as a parent and as an administrator,” said UNC Chapel Hill Director of Athletics Bubba Cunningham. “The student-athlete experience is especially important to Brian, and his support of students and coaches is unwavering. He has always been an active member of the community, and I am looking forward to welcoming Brian to the UNC System.”
Mackin is known for his mentorship of former student-athletes and coaches, including Jerod Haase, Stanford’s men’s basketball head coach, previously hired by Mackin at UAB.
“He is a home-run hire,” said Haase. “Brian has the work ethic, intelligence, and experience to lead UNCG to a great place. Collegiate athletics is changing quickly and Brian has a fantastic background that will help him navigate the ever-changing environment. Greensboro will love having him as part of their community.”
“Our partners at Collegiate Sports Associates helped us find someone who brings a special skill set to UNCG – Brian has an off-the-charts college sports IQ and strong financial and organizational acumen,” said Chancellor Franklin D. Gilliam, Jr. “He understands what players need at the collegiate level because he was one. He has a proven track record in fundraising to support student-athletes, and he shares our vision to win championships for this University. His positivity and passion for collegiate sports are contagious, and we could not be more excited to have him join the Spartan family.”
Mackin graduated from UAB in 1983 with a B.S. in finance. While at UAB, Mackin was a four-year letterman in baseball for the Blazers and played in the Houston Astros minor league system. He has three children, Ragland, Brian Jr., and Mary Aileen.
