Mike Waddell Towson

Hired by Towson University in 2010 as part of a strategy to raise the school's profile through sports, Mike Waddell has more than met expectations. During his short tenure as Director of Athletics, he has already overseen an impressive turnaround both in the number of winning teams and in financial standing. Several sports teams have shown improvement since Mike Waddell's arrival, perhaps most notably the football team, which had a 1-10 record the year he joined Towson University. The following year, the team made it to the NCAA playoffs for the first time in its history, with a 9-3 record for the season; Towson University hosted the NCAA playoff game and sold out the venue for the first time in the football program's history, with 11,196 tickets sold. Mike Waddell has improved the Athletic Department's standing not only through ticket sales, which are up overall, but also through the development of marketing, communications, and corporate sponsorship strategies.

Towson University tapped Mike Waddell to revamp its sports programs based on his performance at other schools. Previously, he served as Senior Associate Director of Athletics at the University of Cincinnati, where he also contributed to the success of winning teams and generated revenue through ticket sales and marketing initiatives. Thanks to these initiatives and strong performances by the football team, ticket sales increased by 122 percent, attendance grew by 83 percent, and ticket revenues overall increased by 170 percent during his time at the University of Cincinnati. An enthusiastic supporter of new sports teams, Waddell also helped the women's basketball program increase ticket sales and visibility.