UMBC welcomes Tiffany D. Tucker as new athletics director

In an email to the campus community, UMBC President Valerie Sheares Ashby has announced that Tiffany D. Tucker will join the university August 15 as Director of Athletics, Physical Education, and Recreation. The letter follows in full:

Dear UMBC Community,

I am thrilled to announce Tiffany D. Tucker’s appointment as Director of Athletics, Physical Education, and Recreation. She will begin her role on August 15.

Tiffany comes to UMBC from the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW), where she has served as deputy athletics director since August 2021. Her appointment follows a nationwide search, during which she emerged as a highly experienced and accomplished athletics administrator. She is the ideal person to advance our competitive and recreational athletics program.

“I am beyond thrilled to embark on this incredible journey as the new athletics director at UMBC,” Tucker said. “As an athletics leader, my mission is to create a vibrant, infectious atmosphere that empowers student-athletes, coaches, and staff to reach unprecedented heights. I am committed to fostering best-in-class excellence in competition, the classroom, and the campus community.”

Tiffany’s record of achievements demonstrates a stunning commitment to inclusive excellence. She serves on the Minority Opportunities Athletic Association Membership Committee and the Women Leaders in College Sports Education and Professional Development Committee. In 2015, the United States Olympic Committee selected Tiffany to participate in the Ethnic Minority Women in Coaching Leadership Program in Colorado Springs. She is a member of the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics and Women Leaders in College Sports.

Several years ago, Tiffany organized a National Girls & Women in Sports Day Leadership Summit to celebrate the successes and achievements of female athletes. She served as chair of the Colonial Athletic Association Family: United for Change Committee, helping develop a strategic direction and providing an opportunity for institutions to share resources related to anti-racism and social justice efforts. In 2021, she was recognized by Sports Illustrated in Elle-evate: 100 Influential Black Women in Sports. A year later, she was named Nell Jackson Nike Executive of the Year by Women Leaders in College Sports. She was honored by the Hampton University Office of Alumni Affairs for inclusion in the Forty Under 40 Alumni Recognition Society for 2020.

A standout athlete at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she was a four-year member of the women’s basketball squad, Tiffany brings a deep understanding of the commitment and focus required to compete at the Division I level, as well as the support student-athletes need to thrive academically and athletically.

Tiffany has taken on increasingly challenging leadership roles throughout her distinguished career, establishing herself as a champion of equity-based athletic excellence in coaching and administration and student-athlete development and well-being.

As UNCW’s number two athletics administrator, Tiffany played key roles in developing and implementing strategic priorities, generating revenue, and leading capital projects. She placed particular emphasis on personal accountability, integrity, and compliance.

Before her deputy athletics director role at UNCW, she was senior associate athletics director and senior woman administrator. She built her athletic administrative skills at Elizabeth City State University, Hampton University, and South Carolina State University. She coached basketball at Allegheny College, Radford University, Francis Marion University, and Claflin University.

Tiffany received her bachelor’s degree in philosophy from UNC and a master’s degree in sport administration from Hampton.

When she joins us in August, Tiffany will be the first woman and person of color to lead the university’s athletics program. With only seven percent of Division I athletic directors being women of color, UMBC is proud to be a leader in recognizing talent like Tiffany. I feel incredibly fortunate that she has chosen us.

I look forward to ushering in a new era for our athletics and recreation programs that will take our students to the next level of achievement.

I am grateful to the search committee for their contributions to the process. I also thank Whitney Ames, associate athletics director for compliance, and Rich Franchak, senior associate athletics director for business and finance, for providing steady leadership during the search for a new director.

Welcome to the Retriever family, Tiffany!

Sincerely,

President Valerie Sheares Ashby