Rutgers University Names Keli Zinn as New Director of Athletics

It was announced today that Rutgers University has appointed Keli Zinn as the new Director of Athletics. This ends an almost year-long vacancy at the position after former AD Pat Hobbs unexpectedly stepped down in August of last year. 

Zinn has been a leader in collegiate athletics for 20 years, working as the Assistant AD at Maryland University from 2005-2010, Deputy AD at West Virginia University from 2016-2022, and most recently the executive deputy athletic director and chief operating officer at Louisiana State University.

“I am honored to join Rutgers at this exciting juncture, and I want to thank President Tate and the Board of Governors for this incredible opportunity,” Zinn said. “Where there are challenges, there are also opportunities, and I look forward to working with our campus leaders, student-athletes, coaches, staff, donors, and fans to build on Rutgers’ strong tradition, amplify opportunities to support our athletic programs, maintain top‑tier compliance, and pursue excellence both on and off the field.”

Since joining LSU in 2022, Keli Zinn has helped guide the program to four national championships (gymnastics, women’s basketball, and baseball twice), multiple SEC titles, and a top-10 finish in the Director’s Cup. Throughout the course of her career, she has celebrated 15 national championships and 34 conference championships.

Not only has Zinn’s leadership led to success athletically, but she has also been a key figure in LSU’s Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) strategy. Her most notable effort was forging a partnership with Amazon Prime Video to produce The Money Game, a documentary series that featured student‑athletes attending the university. Her innovative approach secured NIL agreements in a time when NIL was still new and unknown. Zinn’s work regarding NIL has positioned LSU as a national NIL leader, with fundraising growth across multiple sports.

“Keli Zinn brings the strategic drive, operational excellence, and championship pedigree we need right now for Rutgers Athletics,” Rutgers President William F. Tate IV said. “Her leadership style resonates deeply with Rutgers’ mission – competitiveness on the field, integrity in our practices, and excellence in the student‑athlete experience. She will guide Rutgers into a new era, with forward-looking leadership, tapping into the Rutgers Edge.”

Zinn has been given a five-year contract with Rutgers. Details of said contract include an initial base salary of $1.35 million, a $50,000 annual raise for each year that she receives a positive evaluation, and a retention bonus of $150,000 following the second and fourth years. 

“Very excited about the opportunity to work alongside her. I’ve never worked with her, I don’t know her, but a lot of people that I am very close to have and speak the world of her and are excited for us to have her here,” Rutgers Football Head Coach Greg Schiano said. “That, to me, is great. Haven’t met her yet, but have communicated and really look forward to working with her and building this thing, continuing to build this thing to where we all know it can get to.”

Earlier today, following the Board of Governors’ approval of Zinn’s appointment, a press conference was held for Zinn on Busch Campus.

“My vision for Rutgers athletics is quite simple,” Zinn said. “The process to get there, in some cases, will be complex…but the vision is clear: We didn’t come here to just compete. We came here to win — to win conference and national championships.”

Zinn begins her tenure on August 6th, 2025.