Gerald J. Harrison Hired As Marshall’s 23rd Director of Athletics

Live-stream for Wednesday's Introductory Press Conference

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Marshall University President Brad D. Smith announced on Monday that Gerald J. Harrison has been named as Vice President/Director of Athletics for Marshall Athletics.

Harrison's appointment as the 23rd Director of Athletics in Marshall history came after approval by Marshall's Board of Governors on Monday morning.

He will be introduced at an 11 a.m. press conference on Wednesday at Encova Auditorium inside the Brad D. Smith Center for Business and Innovation. The introductory press conference will be live-streamed HERE.

"Gerald Harrison embodies the values and vision we hold dear at Marshall University," Smith said. "His track record of championship performance, strategic innovation, and people-first leadership stood out at every step of our national search. What impressed me most was Gerald's unwavering belief that athletics is not just about wins and losses; it's about building a culture of excellence, elevating student-athletes and uniting a community.

"He understands the power of higher education to transform lives and sees athletics as a platform for opportunity, inspiration, and impact. As we continue advancing our Marshall For All, Marshall Forever strategy, Gerald's approach to leading with integrity, heart and bold vision will take our program and our people even further.

"We welcome Gerald, Lisa, Torri and Lorri to the Marshall family and look forward to building the next great chapter of Thundering Herd Athletics together."

Harrison comes to Marshall from Austin Peay where he served as Vice President and Director of Athletics since July 2018. The family-oriented, Florence, South Carolina, native comes to Huntington with his wife, Lisa, and their two daughters, Torri and Lorri. His wife is the former Lisa Addison – a former track standout at Austin Peay – and his daughter Torri is currently a women's basketball player at Western Kentucky.

"I could not be more excited to be a member of The Herd and the Huntington community," Harrison said. "Thank you to President Brad D. Smith, the Board of Governors, and the selection committee for entrusting me with this incredible opportunity. I'm honored to stand on the shoulders of so many great leaders and work together to use our rich tradition and history to build a bright future – not just for Marshall Athletics, but for the entire university and our community.

"From day one, we will begin our relentless pursuit of excellence in intercollegiate athletics. However, this pursuit cannot be done alone. I look forward to collaborating with campus leadership, our students, and community partners to ensure Marshall leads the way in competition, student-athlete success, development, well-being and community engagement.

"During our visit to Huntington, my wife Lisa and I were in awe of the sea of Kelly green, the kind words and the welcoming smiles that made it clear – this place is special! It is that deep-rooted passion - paired with innovation and hard work – that will make us one of the most complete athletics departments in the nation. Lisa, our daughters Torri and Lorri, and I can't wait to get started and proudly shout those words … Go Herd!!"

During his seven years at Austin Peay, the Governors' sports programs saw unparalleled success on and off the field, winning 13 championships – three in football – while boasting of 16 consecutive semesters with a department-wide GPA of 3.0 or better.

In his tenure, Austin Peay also established Corporate Sponsorship revenue records and had record ticket sales numbers in football, men's basketball and baseball. The keynote event for Harrison was securing Austin Peay's largest-ever financial gift – a $15 million pledge in 2022.

No stranger to innovative thinking for fundraising, Harrison successfully entered into a groundbreaking partnership between Austin Peay and the Nashville Predators that produced Sabertooth Sports & Entertainment, which brought about F&M Bank Arena – a new sports and entertainment facility in downtown Clarksville, Tenn., - and also produced a 33 percent increase in revenue in the 2022-23 sports year.

"I've had the privilege of working closely with Gerald Harrison on countless efforts across the greater Smashville community – from his impact at Austin Peay and throughout Montgomery County to his presence in the heart of Nashville," said Sean Henry, CEO of the Nashville Predators. "Building an arena together to reshape what was possible for Austin Peay athletics was a milestone in both of our careers, but even more meaningful has been the friendship that grew through that journey. It's no surprise that a university as respected as Marshall has chosen Gerald as its next Athletic Director. While I'll certainly miss working with him day-to-day, I look forward to continued collaboration and watching him build on Marshall's proud tradition with the vision, integrity and energy that define him."

Harrison's vision for success in athletics starts with a strategy that focuses on holistic and individual well-being with an emphasis on the student-athlete and fan experiences, as well as an unwavering commitment to the community – an initiative that saw his student-athletes average 25 hours of community service per athlete for the Clarksville, Tenn., area.

Part of Harrison's success at Austin Peay was predicated on the recruitment and retainment of quality personnel – both in the coaching and administrative realm.

Harrison was responsible for hiring 16 coaches since 2018 with six different Coach of the Year honorees during his tenure.

Harrison also spearheaded several signature moves geared toward boosting resources for the athletics department and the student-athlete experience, such as the renegotiation of Austin Peay's Under Armour & BSN partnership in 2022.

In the ever-changing world of athletics, Harrison also has navigated a pair of conference transitions for the Governors, moving from the Ohio Valley Conference to the Atlantic Sun Conference in 2022 and recently announcing that the Governors will join the newly-formed United Athletic Conference – a new partnership between football-playing members of the ASUN and the Western Athletic Conference - for all sports in 2026.

At the heart of all his decisions, though, was maintaining his core values of a family-first feel within his department, with the community and with fellow league memberships to cultivate key partnerships that continued his legacy of success.

"Congratulations to Gerald, Lisa, Torri and Lorri on this new and exciting opportunity," said Jeff Bacon, Commissioner for the Atlantic Sun Conference. "Gerald and his family have been a tremendous part of the Atlantic Sun family – great friends since day one together – and they will all be sorely missed. Marshall is not only getting an incredible leader, but they are getting an even more incredible person and family. I wish them all the best and look forward to watching The Herd continue to succeed."

Prior to his time at Austin Peay, Harrison served in numerous capacities at Duke University, including Senior Associate Director of Athletics for Internal Affairs – a position which he held from 2013 until his departure for Austin Peay. During this time, Harrison helped secure funding for the $100-million renovation to Brooks Field at Wallace Wade Stadium.

His start at Duke came in 2008 when he joined the Blue Devils as the Assistant Director of Athletics for Football Development, which coincided with the start of head coach David Cutcliffe's tenure. When they came to Duke, the Blue Devils had not advanced to a bowl game since 1994, but Cutcliffe and Harrison helped navigate Duke football to five bowl appearances in six seasons with the highlight being the 2013 campaign when the team won 10 games and Cutcliffe earned his second consecutive ACC Coach of the Year award to go with several National Coach of the Year accolades also.

As Duke football began its climb, Harrison advanced to the role of Associate Director of Athletics for Human Resources where he maintained oversight of football and fencing while also managing the sports medicine, equipment and strength and conditioning departments. His work within Human Resources produced an inclusive environment at Duke that increased the number of women and minorities in athletic administration by nearly 20 percent, which earned him Duke's Diversion Equity and Inclusion Award in 2012.

"Gerald Harrison is simply a brilliant hire at Marshall," said former Duke Athletic Director Kevin White. "He clearly represents the combination of contemporary and new age leadership with traditionally-based vision, values and integrity, which is steeped in providing a robust educational experience for all student-athletes, notwithstanding a very special alignment relative to each and every coveted constituency group closely associated with Marshall University."

Prior to joining Duke's staff, Harrison was an integral part of Phillip Fulmer's staff from 2001-04, working in a role he's passionate about as the Director of Community Relations, which helped enhance the student-athletes' presence in the community. His 'Go V.O.L.S.' program resulted in over 1,200 hours of community service in 2003 and 2004 at Tennessee. V.O.L.S. stands for Volunteering Outstanding Leadership and Service.

Harrison later advanced to the role of Director of High School Relations for the Vols, managing an annual budget of $1 million to provide support to each member of the football staff in their recruiting. The end result was a city and campus-wide collaborative effort that helped Coach Fulmer yield top-15 recruiting classes in each year.

"I am so proud for Gerald Harrison as he continues to move up professionally and personally," said Fulmer, a member of the College Football Hall of Fame as a head coach and a former AD at Tennessee. "Gerald is an exceptional administrator, fundraiser, and manager of people and processes. He is also a wonderful people-person and an advocate for coaches and student-athletes. He will be fantastic for Marshall University."

In addition to his duties within his university, Harrison is currently a member of the NCAA Division I Council and the NCAA Football Oversight Committee. He has also previously served on the Football Championship Committee and the NCAA Competition Oversight Committee. Harrison also holds memberships with the National Association of College Director of Athletics (NACDA) and the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA).

Marshall University was assisted in the national search by CarrSports Consulting.

What They Are Saying About Gerald J. Harrison

"Congratulations to my good friend Gerald Harrison, an extraordinary athletics director who will be a huge asset to Marshall Athletics and the entire Marshall community. I've been fortunate to work directly with Gerald during our time together at Duke. His keen understanding of collegiate athletics – at both the micro and macro levels – is unmatched. I learned so much from Gerald's forward-thinking approach to complex football issues, as well as his insight across all sports. He has an uncanny ability to assess an athletics department's needs, develop a plan, and execute it to perfection. He is one of the industry's brightest young minds and will help Marshall – and the broader collegiate community – thrive in this new era of collegiate athletics.

~ Stan Wilcox, NCAA Senior VP for Regulatory Affairs and former VP/Director of Athletics at Florida State University

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"I'm so excited for Gerald and his family for this opportunity at Marshall. Marshall made a home run hire. I've known Gerald since we were both getting into the profession 25 years ago. It was evident then that he was going to go a long way in this industry, and he has. Marshall has a great athletics program with great tradition. He will embrace that and make it even better.

~ Shane Beamer, Head Football Coach, University of South Carolina

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"Marshall University made a home run hire with one of the fastest-rising stars and innovative leaders in the industry: Gerald Harrison. What separates Gerald is his genuine care for all student-athletes and their success. He is constantly finding cutting edge ways to invest into their lives and develop them as champions in life - not just on the field. Gerald will bring a championship standard to all he touches with the Thundering Herd! I am excited for Gerald, Lisa and the entire Harrison family, and wish them the absolute best!"

~ Scotty Walden, UTEP Football Head Coach

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"I am thrilled to see my long-time friend, Gerald Harrison, take on the role of Athletic Director at Marshall University. Having witnessed his leadership, dedication and passion for collegiate athletics firsthand over the years, I am confident he will have a profound, positive impact on Marshall Athletics. This is truly an exciting chapter for him and the university."

~ Eric Poms, CEO, Orange Bowl

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Gerald J. Harrison Hired As Marshall’s 23rd Director of Athletics

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