Brandeis University names Lauren Haynie director of athletics

Lauren Haynie was named the director of athletics on August 23, 2019

Lauren S. Haynie will join Brandeis University on September 23 as its twelfth director of athletics, including those who served in interim or acting roles.

Haynie is currently Wellesley College's senior associate director of athletics and PERA (physical education, recreation and athletics). She will succeed Jeffrey Ward, who has served as interim director of athletics at Brandeis since September 2018.

"I am thrilled to welcome Lauren to Brandeis and look forward to working with her in continuing the success of our athletic teams, and supporting the health and wellness of everyone in our community," said Lisa M. Lynch, Provost and Maurice B. Hexter Professor of Social and Economic Policy. "Lauren is an experienced leader in physical education, recreation, and athletics, and has a strong record of championing diversity and inclusion in all her work."  Provost Lynch also said, "I would like to thank Jeffrey Ward for his excellent stewardship of Brandeis Athletics over the past year. We have all been the beneficiaries of the wealth of his extensive experience in athletics."

Haynie will report directly to Lynch and oversee the university's entire athletics program. She is expected to enhance the student-athlete experience and help guide and mentor the athletics staff and coaches across all 19 varsity teams. Haynie will also be Brandeis Athletics' primary representative in interactions with other leaders across campus.

"I am excited to become part of the Brandeis family and get to work on helping our Judges teams reach new heights," Haynie said. "I look forward to partnering with students and staff at Brandeis and promoting the university's core values, both inside and outside the athletic arena."

Haynie comes to Brandeis with nearly two decades of experience in collegiate athletics.

She served as head athletic trainer at Lane College in Jackson, Tennessee, assistant athletics director for sports medicine at Assumption College in Worcester, Massachusetts and assistant athletic director for sports medicine at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.

In 2013, Haynie joined the athletics staff at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology as the special assistant to the athletic director for the department of athletics, physical education, and recreation. At MIT, Haynie worked to integrate campus partners including the offices of global education and career development and Title IX. Haynie also coordinated MIT's Engineering Success program for student-athlete well-being and participated in MIT's mentor advocate program and Rainbow Compass Program for underrepresented minority and LBGTQ students.

Haynie joined Wellesley College's staff in 2017 and has served as the athletic department's liaison to campus partners like the dean of students, admissions and financial aid. At Wellesley, she has led all aspects of compliance with the NCAA, has helped oversee the 500 varsity student-athletes and club athletes, 60 athletics coaches and staff, and has served on five committees related to student life, inclusion, diversity, race and equality. She has also been the primary contact for Wellesley coaches on issues like goal-setting, hiring and supervision of assistant coaches.

Haynie graduated from Pennsylvania State University in 2000 with a degree in kinesiology and received her Master of Science degree in education from Old Dominion University in 2002. She received her Master of Business Administration, with an emphasis on sports management, from Southern New Hampshire University in 2014 and earned a graduate certificate in leadership and diversity in sport management from the University of Connecticut in 2017.

Haynie is a member of Women Leaders in College Sports, the Minority Opportunities Athletic Association, and the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics. 

Members of the university's search committee included staff members Mark Brimhall-Vargas, Dennis Hicks, Bill O'Reilly, Gabe Margolis, Jennifer Salmon, and Jennifer Walker; faculty members Jennifer Cleary, Michael McKay, and Rebecca Torrey; student members Jacob Judd and Daria Bakhtiari; and Board of Trustee member Josh Kraft.