Keli Zinn is named Rutgers director of athletics. LSU Athletics

Rutgers President William F. Tate IV today appointed Keli Zinn, a collegiate athletics leader with 20 years of power conference experience and a proven track record of transforming championship-level programs, as director of Intercollegiate Athletics for Rutgers-New Brunswick.

The Rutgers Board of Governors approved the appointment of Zinn, currently the executive deputy athletic director and chief operating officer at Louisiana State University (LSU). Zinn begins her tenure at Rutgers on Aug. 6, 2025.

“Keli Zinn brings the strategic drive, operational excellence, and championship pedigree we need right now for Rutgers Athletics,” Tate said. “Her leadership style resonates deeply with Rutgers’ mission – competitiveness on the field, integrity in our practices, and excellence in the student‑athlete experience. She will guide Rutgers into a new era, with forward-looking leadership, tapping into the Rutgers Edge. We are thrilled to welcome Keli and her husband, Nate, to the Scarlet Knights family.”

At LSU, Zinn helped lead the Tigers to unprecedented success: four national championships (gymnastics, women’s basketball, and baseball twice), multiple SEC titles including in women’s track and field and women’s gymnastics, and a top‑10 finish in the Director’s Cup – a measurement of the overall competitiveness of an athletic department – for the first time since 2009. During her tenure, LSU football posted a dominant 10‑win season and won a Western Division title during one of the fastest turnarounds in college football history. She has celebrated 15 national championships and 34 conference championships over the course of her remarkable career.

Zinn’s leadership in two power conferences – the Big 12 at West Virginia University and the SEC at LSU – has uniquely prepared her to lead within the Big Ten. At West Virginia, she served as interim athletic director in 2015, becoming the first woman to helm the department, and guided the university through the transition into the Big 12.

“I am honored to join Rutgers at this exciting juncture, and I want to thank President Tate and the Board of Governors for this incredible opportunity,” Zinn said. “Where there are challenges, there are also opportunities, and I look forward to working with our campus leaders, student-athletes, coaches, staff, donors, and fans to build on Rutgers’ strong tradition, amplify opportunities to support our athletic programs, maintain top‑tier compliance, and pursue excellence both on and off the field. We will compete with the nation’s best and we will represent the university with integrity and pride in all we do.”

Zinn was instrumental in advancing LSU’s Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) strategy, forging a partnership to produce The Money Game—a documentary series following Tigers student‑athletes, launched on Amazon Prime Video. Her innovative approach secured NIL agreements and fund‑raising growth across multiple sports, positioning LSU as a national NIL leader.

“Keli Zinn is a dynamic leader who brings a powerful combination of competitive excellence, strategic acumen, and deep integrity to this role. Her experience operating at the heart of major collegiate athletics, commitment to student-athletes, and proven ability to elevate programs make her the right leader at the right time for Rutgers Athletics,” Board of Governors Chair Amy L. Towers said. “We are excited to welcome Keli and her husband, Nate, to the Banks and look forward to partnering with her as we build on Rutgers’ proud legacy and drive toward even greater success in the Big Ten and beyond.”

Zinn began her career as a compliance assistant in the Big East before gaining progressive experience in compliance, governance, and sport administration at the University of Maryland and later serving in multiple senior executive roles at West Virginia University.

“With experience in the Northeast, in the SEC, and at land-grant universities like Rutgers, Keli understands the values, mission, and regional pride that defines our community,” said Hollis Copeland, chair of the Board of Governors athletics subcommittee and a standout former basketball player and member of the Rutgers Athletics Hall of Fame. “Keli will help us build a winning tradition that the world will know, and we welcome her and Nate.”

Rutgers’ Division of Intercollegiate Athletics is comprised of 24 men’s and women’s varsity sports serving more than 730 student-athletes competing in the Big Ten Conference.

Rutgers is The Birthplace of College Football – Rutgers defeated Princeton 6-4 on Nov. 6, 1869, in New Brunswick. The Scarlet Knights have captured numerous team and individual championships. In addition to consecutive bowl berths in football and recent NCAA tournament bids in men’s basketball, Rutgers has won Big Ten team championships in men’s and women’s soccer and field hockey, while individuals have earned both national and Big Ten titles in track and field and wrestling.

Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a leading national research university and the state of New Jersey’s preeminent, comprehensive public institution of higher education. Established in 1766, the university is the eighth-oldest higher education institution in the United States. More than 69,000 students and 27,000 faculty and staff learn, work and serve the public at Rutgers University-New Brunswick, Rutgers University-Newark, Rutgers University-Camden and Rutgers Health.