Director of Athletics Jack Hayes will leave his position at the University, effective Feb. 5, to become a senior adviser to Bruin Sports Capital and “pursue new opportunities,” according to a Friday press release.
Deputy Director of Athletics Colin Sullivan will serve as interim athletic director while Brown conducts a nationwide search for a new AD. Hayes has been Brown’s athletic director since 2012 and previously served as the athletic director at Hofstra University for eight years.
“Jack truly embraces the ideal of the scholar-athlete,” said President Christina Paxson P’19 in a Friday press release. “Brown Athletics under his leadership has embodied a commitment to cultivating a climate where athletic competition and academic achievement form the core of the student-athlete experience to promote real personal growth and leadership.”
Vice President for Campus Life Eric Estes echoed Paxson’s praise. “Jack led robust fundraising that enabled $50 million in important facilities upgrades during his time at Brown, which will benefit our student-athletes for generations to come,” Estes said in the press release. Estes also highlighted Hayes’ role in recent athletic successes, including the men’s lacrosse team’s Final Four berth in 2016 and the Ivy League Championship won by the women’s soccer team in 2019.
Hayes will continue his career in the sports industry at Bruin Sports Capital, an “entertainment and media company that specializes in working with capital partners and management teams to build best-in-class global leaders that deliver consistent growth and measurable returns,” according to the company’s website. The CEO of Bruin Sports Capital, George Pyne ’88 P’20 P’21, is an alum who played on the football team during his time at Brown.
Sullivan will be prepared to act as Brown’s interim athletic director, having previously served as the athletic director at fellow Rhode Island school Salve Regina University. He has also been an assistant track and cross country coach at Iona College, and has held multiple administrative positions at Marist College. “He brings a working knowledge of all facets of intercollegiate athletics,” Hayes has said of Sullivan in a statement on the Brown Athletics website.
Sullivan will immediately face the challenge of guiding Brown Athletics through the COVID-19 pandemic and the accompanying restrictions on athletic activities.
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