Marshall University Athletics
Marshall’s Niesha Campbell Named To Top 100 Rising AD Stars/Future ADs List
5/26/2026 11:00:00 AM | General
Silver Waves Media recognizes Herd’s Deputy AD/CFO/COO/SWA for prestigious honor
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Niesha Campbell, Marshall's Deputy Director of Athletics, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Operating Officer and Senior Woman Administrator, has been named as one of the Top 100 Rising ADs/Future Ads in the NCAA by Silver Waves Media.
"It is truly an honor to be recognized alongside so many outstanding leaders in college athletics," Campbell said. "I'm incredibly grateful for the opportunity to do work I genuinely love each day – serving our student-athletes, coaches, and university community. This recognition is both humbling and motivating, and I'm thankful for the mentors, colleagues, and teams who make this journey so meaningful."
Campbell joined Marshall Athletics in August 2025, bringing more than 15 years of senior leadership experience in a variety of sectors, including athletics administration, finance, fundraising, compliance, student-athlete welfare and organizational operations.
At Marshall, Campbell provides executive oversight of Marshall Athletics' $40 million athletics enterprise, leading strategic financial planning, revenue generation initiatives, external operations, NCAA compliance and student-athlete welfare while serving as a key advisor and liaison for athletics and university leadership.
Marshall Vice President and Director of Athletics Gerald J. Harrison said Campbell's ability to impact all areas of athletics administration are qualities that make her a great selection for this list.
"Niesha Campbell is one of the most dynamic and impactful leaders in collegiate athletics today," Harrison said. "Her recognition is a direct reflection of the passion, vision and relentless commitment she brings to Marshall Athletics every single day. Niesha embodies the Herd Mentality through her unwavering focus on the student-athlete experience, operational excellence and building meaningful relationships across our campus and community. Along with the outstanding leadership team we have assembled, she has played an instrumental role in our pursuit of becoming one of the most complete athletics departments in the country. We are incredibly proud of her and excited to see her talents continue to be recognized on a national level."
Since joining Marshall Athletics in August 2025, Campbell has helped spearhead several new initiatives, including the HERd Leadership Circle – Marshall's signature women's leadership and donor network whose mission is to connect Marshall's women student-athletes with alumni and community leaders through leadership development, mentorship and professional networking engagements.
Inclusion on the 'Silver Waves Top 100 Rising ADs' list is the latest distinguished recognition for Campbell, who was one of only three Sun Belt Conference representatives in the Top 100.
While at Austin Peay in June 2025, Campbell was selected to the NCAA Pathway Program as one of only 22 administrators across all levels of the NCAA to be selected for the yearlong initiative that is designed to prepare senior-level athletics administrators for their next career step as directors of athletics or conference commissioners.
Campbell joined Austin Peay's athletic department in June 2022 as Deputy Director of Athletics and Senior Woman Administrator and was also elevated to Chief Operating Officer in August 2023.
Before her time at Austin Peay, Campbell spent nearly a decade at Duke University serving in many leadership roles, including athletics development, human resources and compliance.
During her time at Duke, she secured $5.8 million in philanthropic gifts in a single fiscal year and helped lead Duke to a record-breaking $15.5 million annual fund year while also launching the Duke Athletics Women's Impact Network – an initiative focused on engaging and cultivating female donors that generated multiple six-figure gifts.
Campbell has also served on numerous NCAA and university committees, including the NCAA FCS Football Selection Committee, NCAA Women's Beach Volleyball Championship Committee and she also currently serves on the NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship Committee.
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