UW-Whitewater names Todd Garzarelli Director of Athletics
June 20, 2017
Chancellor Beverly Kopper announced today that, after a national search, Todd Garzarelli has been named director of intercollegiate athletics at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.
"We are pleased to welcome Todd Garzarelli to the Warhawk family," Kopper said. "His dedication to student-athletes, fundraising experience, and collaborative work with coaches, alumni and the community will help us continue the championship tradition of UW-Whitewater and propel our athletic program to even greater heights."
Garzarelli comes to UW-Whitewater from the State University of New York at Buffalo, the largest public university in New York, where he serves as senior associate athletic director for external affairs.
"The UW-Whitewater Warhawks represent everything that is right about college athletics," Garzarelli said. "They have established a strong culture of academic success and are trailblazers in the industry with programs such as the Warhawk Leadership Academy, preparing student-athletes for life after graduation. They have built a championship culture on the playing field that is second to none and it is a privilege to be part of this great culture."
Warhawk Athletics has won 19 national team championships and produced 21 national athletes of the year. In 2013-14, UW-Whitewater became the only university in history at any level to win football, men's basketball and baseball in the same year.
"Todd is always focusing on making the experience better for student-athletes, whether it's on gameday or finding resources to help students succeed academically and in their careers," said UW-Whitewater alumnus and former head football coach Lance Leipold, who has served as head coach at Buffalo since 2015. "He is a great, down-to-earth person and will be a fine addition to the UW-Whitewater community and the winning tradition of Warhawk Athletics."
At Buffalo, Garzarelli oversees athletics communications and branding, corporate sales, ticket sales and operations, promotions, gameday experience and community relations. He secured the department's first six-figure sponsorship, and in the last fiscal year helped raise a record $1.75 million in corporate sponsorships. Attendance, ticket sales and brand awareness at Buffalo all significantly increased during his tenure.
Before arriving at Buffalo, Garzarelli served as associate athletic director for external affairs and director of the athletic association at Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, Louisiana. He previously served as associate director of external affairs and major gifts at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, and as associate athletic director for marketing at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Illinois.
"Todd Garzarelli is a tremendous choice to lead the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater," said Northwestern University Vice President for Athletics & Recreation Jim Phillips. "His remarkable commitment in service of student-athletes has been a hallmark throughout his career. Todd has boundless creativity to engage the Warhawk community, and to responsibly maximize available resources. His track record speaks for itself across the entirety of his career, and he will be a great asset to the UW-Whitewater family."
Garzarelli earned a Bachelor of Science in sport management from Slippery Rock University and a Master of Science in sport management from Northern Illinois University.
He will begin his duties at UW-Whitewater on July 10.
"I would like to thank the search and screen committee and Susan Johnson for her leadership as chair, and all the members of the campus community — alumni, emeriti and friends of the university — who participated in this important process," Kopper said. "I would also like to thank Randy Marnocha for serving in the interim athletic director role and ably assisting our university during this transition."