UT Tyler Appoints Sam Ferguson to Lead Athletics Program

TYLER, Texas (March 20, 2025) – The University of Texas at Tyler has selected Dr. Sam Ferguson as the new athletic director, effective April 7.

Ferguson has nearly 25 years of leadership experience in college athletics and more than 15 years as an athletic director. He comes to UT Tyler from Abilene Christian University where he served as associate vice president and deputy athletic director. His previous roles include director of athletics at Averett University and director of intercollegiate athletics at McMurry University.

"We are pleased to welcome Dr. Ferguson," said UT Tyler President Julie V. Philley, MD. "His proven leadership and dedication to student-athlete success are a great fit for our fantastic program. I'm confident that under his guidance, our student-athletes will continue to excel."

Ferguson holds a bachelor's degree from Averett, where he was a two-year member of the golf and basketball teams. He also has a Master of Science degree in sports management from Nova Southeastern University and a doctorate from East Tennessee State University.

"The opportunity to join the UT Tyler team is an incredible one for my family and me," Ferguson said. "I am grateful for President Philley, Mr. Daniel Deslatte and the entire search committee for the confidence that they have in me to lead the Patriots' elite athletics department. Our family couldn't be more thrilled to serve a department that competes on a national level at a university with an outstanding academic reputation and tremendous leadership.

"What was clear to us on our family's visit is that the quality of people at UT Tyler and in the Tyler community is the advantage," he added. "We are excited to do our part to continue to elevate UT Tyler athletics to unprecedented heights. My wife, Kim, our sons, Kaden and Angelo, and I can't wait to immerse ourselves in the campus community and into the city of Tyler. We are blessed to be trading one amazing community in Abilene for another tremendous community of people in Tyler."

Ferguson has served on the board of directors for the Abilene Convention and Visitor's Bureau, United Way of Abilene, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Danville, Virginia, Habitat for Humanity and the board of trustees for the Christian Homes and Family Services. He was a member of the Riverview Rotary Club and chaired the Danville Riverview Rotary Christmas Parade.

With a mission to improve educational and health care outcomes for East Texas and beyond, UT Tyler offers more than 90 undergraduate and graduate programs to more than 10,000 students. Through its alignment with UT Tyler Health Science Center and UT Health East Texas, UT Tyler has unified these entities to serve Texas with quality education, cutting-edge research and excellent patient care. Classified by Carnegie as a doctoral research institution and by U.S. News & World Report as a national university, UT Tyler has campuses in Tyler, Longview, Palestine and Houston.