Niesha Campbell Named Deputy Athletic Director, COO & SWA

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Marshall Vice President and Director of Athletics Gerald J. Harrison announced on Monday that Niesha Campbell has been hired as the Herd's new Deputy Athletic Director, Chief Operating Officer and Senior Woman Administrator.

"I couldn't be more excited to welcome Niesha Campbell, her husband Kevin, and their daughters Kaitlyn and Aubrey to the Herd family!" Harrison said of Campbell. "Niesha is a phenomenal administrator with a proven track record in finance, revenue generation and fundraising, external affairs and student-athlete development."

Campbell comes to Marshall from Austin Peay where she served on Harrison's staff in the same capacity for the last three years.

"I'm honored to accept the role of Deputy Athletics Director and Chief Operating Officer at Marshall University," Campbell said. "I want to thank President Brad Smith for the opportunity to serve this incredible university. I'm also excited to keep working with Gerald Harrison – a great leader and friend I've known for over 20 years. We're ready to build on the proud tradition that defines Marshall and to provide the best experience possible for our student-athletes."

Campbell brings more than 15 years of experience in strategic leadership, operational management and institutional advancement to Marshall after building the athletics realm at Austin Peay and Duke in a variety of roles.

"I've had the privilege of working with her at both Duke and Austin Peay, where she consistently brought creativity, innovation and an incredible work ethic to every challenge," Harrison said. "At each stop, she made a lasting impact – and I have no doubt she'll do the same here at Marshall University."

At Austin Peay, Campbell was responsible for oversight of internal athletics programs, student-athlete welfare and external operations to help build a culture of student-athlete well-being and institutional growth.

Campbell implemented several programs to enhance student-athlete well-being and experience. These included the WellPeayple Program and Community Resiliency Model –initiatives geared toward maximizing student-athlete mental health at Austin Peay – and the revitalization of the LeadHer initiative for women's sports – an initiative in which she spearheaded a fundraising campaign that resulted in $165,000 going to the betterment of women's athletic programs at Austin Peay.

Campbell also served as the sports administrator for men's basketball, women's basketball, volleyball and beach volleyball at Austin Peay.

In addition, Campbell served as a national figure while representing Austin Peay in several capacities, including the 2024 NCAA Women's Beach Volleyball Championship Committee, the FCS Football Selection Committee, Women Leaders in Sports and Nashville Sports Council 'Women In Sports' Committee.

Campbell previously had eight years of athletics experience at Duke University, serving in a multitude of roles, including Director of Major Gifts (2017-19) and Director of Annual Fund (2015-17) for Athletic Development after serving as Associate Director of Compliance (2010-15) and Director of Human Resources (2013-15).

In her role as Director of Major Gifts, Campbell helped secure $5.8 million in gifts during the 2017-18 fiscal year – 10 percent of departmental revenue – while also creating the Duke Athletics Women's Impact Network.

Following her time at Duke, Campbell served as Director of Advancement for Trinity School in Durham from 2019-22, raising $6.9 million in the "Trinity Forward Campaign" before returning to intercollegiate athletics and reuniting with Harrison at Austin Peay.

Campbell earned her bachelor's degree from Appalachian State and also holds two master's degrees – one in divinity from Liberty in 2012 and her MBA from Queens University in Charlotte in 2016.

Campbell and her husband, Kevin McLeod, have two daughters: Kaitlyn, a sprinter at Appalachian State, and Aubrey.

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Marshall University Athletics

Niesha Campbell Named Deputy Athletic Director, COO & SWA

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