May 31, 2018

Craig Pintens, a proven athletic administrator with leadership experience at national championship-winning programs, will be the next athletic director at Loyola Marymount University, President Timothy Law Snyder, Ph.D., announced today.

Pintens comes to LMU from the University of Oregon, where he has served as senior associate athletic director for the past seven years. In that role, he helped lead Oregon’s athletic programs to tremendous success in competition and transformed the fan experience, strategic planning processes, athletics operations, promotions, and fundraising.

“Craig Pintens will be a game changer for the LMU Lions,” Snyder said. “He is a leader, a champion, a builder, and a collaborator who will challenge our student-athletes to be fierce competitors with purpose and integrity. Together with our coaches, he will lionize our athletics programs and amplify LMU’s renown.”

“I am honored to lead LMU’s athletic programs, and look forward to building the next generation of Lion champions,” Pintens said. “LMU is a top-tier university with a celebrated athletics history in the heart of a dynamic global city. We will compete for championships, we will graduate our student-athletes and we will make the LMU community proud. I thank President Snyder for this incredible opportunity and Jill, our children and I cannot wait to join the LMU family.”

Prior to his tenure at Oregon, Pintens worked in the athletic departments at Louisiana State University, Marquette University and the University of Texas-Pan American. At LSU, Pintens implemented strategic ticket sales plans, leading to record ticket sales and attendance numbers. At Marquette, he enacted fundraising initiatives that generated more than $2 million while increasing the donor base by 33 percent. At the University of Texas-Pan American, he managed sales, promotions, game-day operations; and he successfully negotiated the university’s first Spanish radio broadcast deal.

“We’re excited for Craig Pintens to bring his experience and enthusiasm to the Lion family,” said Charity Elliott, head coach of LMU’s women’s basketball team and a member of the search committee. “His zeal to win on the court and on the field with integrity is a great match for our programs. Our coaches and players will benefit from Craig’s optimism and energy.”

“Craig Pintens’ record of success makes him a natural choice to lead LMU’s athletics programs into a promising future,” said West Coast Conference Commissioner Gloria Nevarez. “Craig’s experience in developing excitement and fan engagement is a great fit with the WCC’s demonstrated commitment to excellence and the development of the whole person. This hire signals LMU’s bold ambition and investment in the upward trajectory of LMU and the WCC.”

Pintens is an accomplished public speaker, appearing at conferences throughout the country. The National Association of Collegiate Marketing Administrators has honored him with 35 awards in the areas of season ticket campaigns, advertising, ticket sales, new media, video, and corporate sponsorship.

Pintens is also a member of the Wisconsin Bar; he earned his Juris Doctor from Marquette University School of Law and his Bachelor of Business Administration degree in marketing cum laude from the University of Wisconsin, Whitewater.

Pintens will start on June 25. He replaces outgoing Athletic Director William S. Husak, who is retiring after 20 years at LMU.