Miami Athletics Hires Baptiste as Senior Deputy Athletic Director
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Miami Athletics announced Tuesday that Brian Baptiste has been hired as Senior Deputy Athletic Director.
Baptiste comes to Coral Gables after spending the past four years as the Vice President for Athletics and Recreation at La Salle University.
“We are excited to welcome Brian to the University of Miami family,” Vice President/Director of Athletics Dan Radakovich said. “Brian is a dynamic and driven leader who brings a wealth of experience to our staff and will play a vital role in continuing to move our athletic department forward.”
Under Baptiste’s leadership La Salle raised more money for its annual fund or unrestricted fundraising over the past two fiscal years than it has in its history. La Salle had a record 263 student-athletes named to the Atlantic 10 Commissioner’s Honor Roll during his tenure, and 60 student-athletes earned All-Academic honors from their respective conferences and coaches’ associations. In 2020, 13 of La Salle’s programs scored a perfect 100 in the NCAA Graduation Success Rate (GSR), ranking the department in the top-20 nationally and first in the Atlantic 10. He also implemented the “Defining Your Difference Program” to better position senior student-athletes for success after graduation.
Baptiste serves on the board of directors for the Dad Vail Regatta, the largest collegiate regatta in North America, and co-chaired the Atlantic 10 Conference’s Commission for Racial Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion.
He is the Vice Chair of the NCAA’s Minority Opportunities & Interests Committee. In addition, the Philadelphia Business Journal named Baptiste to its 40 Under 40 List in 2021.
Baptiste joined La Salle in 2019 after nearly seven years at Northwestern, where he has served as Deputy Director of Athletics for Capital Projects and Operations. In that role, Baptiste was responsible for all capital projects for athletics and recreation and had oversight of athletic facilities, event management, equipment services, and recreation. He also served as sport administrator for the men’s basketball, women’s volleyball, men’s and women’s swimming and diving, and women’s cross country programs.
Previously, Baptiste spent nearly three years at the University of Delaware as Associate Athletic Director for Compliance. He began his intercollegiate athletics career as an Assistant Director of Compliance at Georgetown University.
A native of Cheverly, Md., Baptiste is a 2005 graduate of Towson University. He earned his Juris Doctor from St. Thomas University School of Law in 2008 and is licensed to practice law in the state of Maryland.
He and his wife, Jessica, have three daughters.
