11 potential candidates for UCF athletics director job

Matt Murschel, Orlando Sentinel
·3 min read

UCF sports soared to new heights under the direction of athletics director Danny White.

The department enjoyed record-setting numbers in ticket sales and fundraising piggybacking on the success of sports like football and men’s and women’s basketball.

But White’s unexpected departure to Tennessee last week leaves the school in search of his replacement.

UCF president Alexander Cartwright said the Knights will hire a search firm to compile a diverse list of candidates and will move quickly to have a new AD in place within the next month or two.

Take a closer look at some of the most popular potential candidates for the job:

Mark Alnutt (Buffalo AD)

The Buzz: Alnutt replaced White at Buffalo and helped the program achieve historic milestones on and off the field. He has familiarity with the American Athletic Conference after serving as the deputy athletics director at Memphis from 2015-18. He also previously worked in the athletics department at Missouri.

Wren Baker (North Texas AD)

The Buzz: Baker is known for his fundraising efforts, with North Texas hitting record-setting fundraising figures during each of the past four years. In turn, the school has injected $50 million into upgrading and building new athletic facilities on campus.

Scott Carr (UCF Deputy AD)

The Buzz: Carr joined Danny White’s staff in 2016, coordinating brand advancement and strategic communications for the department. He’s also involved in revenue generation, with the Knights setting records during his tenure. He’s currently serving as UCF’s interim AD.

Mike Hill (Charlotte AD)

The Buzz: A veteran administrator, Hill is no stranger to the Sunshine State, having spent 25 years as part of the University of Florida’s athletic department. He was part of the school’s fundraising team while also handling marketing and promotion work.

Zack Lassiter (Oregon State Deputy AD)

The Buzz: Lassiter has familiarity with UCF, spending three years working under former AD Todd Stansbury. Lassiter helped coordinate the department’s brand management and ticket operations along with marketing and promotions.

Bryan Maggard (Louisiana AD)

The Buzz: Since he arrived in Louisiana in 2017, Maggard has been busy building a strong foundation for the department. He made several coaching hires, including Billy Napier, who has led the Ragin’ Cajuns to three consecutive division titles and a Sun Belt Conference championship in 2020.

Stephanie Rempe (LSU Deputy AD)

The Buzz: Rempe has built a reputation for being one of the most respected administrators in college athletics thanks to her time in the Pac-12, Big 12 and SEC. She’s helped lead almost every facet of daily operations, fundraising and strategic initiatives.

Jessica Reo (Temple Senior Associate AD)

The Buzz: Reo has a deep connection to the state of Florida, working in athletic departments at Miami, Florida International and UCF. She spent 12 years at UCF, where she worked on strategic planning as well as creating and implementing policies in the department.

Brian White (FAU AD)

The Buzz: White, the younger brother of Danny White, has spent the past three seasons as athletics director at FAU. He’s hired three coaches and initiated several new programs, including the addition of premium seating cabanas like the ones featured at UCF’s home stadium.

Eric Wood (Louisiana Tech AD)

The Buzz: Wood spent five years as part of UCF’s athletic department before leaving to become the athletics director at Louisiana Tech. He played a big role in fundraising efforts while in Orlando and helped with the turnaround of the football program.

Mark Wright (UCF Deputy AD)

The Buzz: Wright has been a part of the athletics department since 2013 and along with Carr has been crucial in fundraising for the department.

This article first appeared on OrlandoSentinel.com. Email Matt Murschel at mmurschel@orlandosentinel.com.