Tommy McClelland

Tommy McClelland was selected as Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics for Purdue University by the Board of Trustees and President Mitch Daniels, officially beginning his leadership of the Boilermakers in August 2026.

Just the 10th full-time athletics director in school history, McClelland joined Purdue with nearly 20 years of athletics director experience. He arrived in West Lafayette from Rice University, where he held the role of vice president and director of athletics from 2023-26.

A forward-thinking leader and proven visionary in external strategies, McClelland, 44, has embraced the ever-changing climate in collegiate athletics, positioning his programs for success through multimillion-dollar fundraising efforts and success in competition — all the while maintaining a relationship-driven culture.

McClelland also gained valuable leadership experience in the Southeastern Conference, serving as deputy athletic director over external affairs and revenue generation at Vanderbilt University from 2020-23.

With a trained eye for resource development, McClelland oversaw the largest athletics fundraising efforts in Vanderbilt’s history with the Vandy United campaign, raising more than $300 million to improve and expand the university’s facilities, all while overseeing the football team as its program administrator. While with Rice, he invested in the expansion of Rice’s name, image and likeness (NIL) efforts, which manifested in the creation of the South Main Fund to work in tandem with the Owl Club to provide support in the competitive new era of collegiate athletics.

Additionally, McClelland’s stable and inclusive approach to his leadership allowed for the expansion of women’s sports with the return of Rice’s diving (2024-25) and addition of women’s golf for the upcoming season (2026-27).

Rice’s athletic programs flourished under McClelland’s leadership. The football team reached bowl eligibility, the Owls increased exposure via media partnerships and the women’s basketball program advanced to its first American Athletic Conference championship as it began competition for the first time in the league. McClelland also helped usher in a new branding and community engagement campaign to celebrate and strengthen the pride and traditions of the Rice community.

Committed to excellence in the classroom and competition, McClelland has seen programs under his charge excel in the NCAA’s Academic Progress Rate. Most recently, Rice is coming off a 2025-26 academic year that saw 11 of its 14 sports receiving perfect scores. Meanwhile, seven of the Owls’ 14 sports earned perfect four-year scores of 1,000.

Before Rice and Vanderbilt, McClelland spent 2013-20 as athletics director at Louisiana Tech. While there, private giving soared, with record numbers of donations in each of his last five years. He negotiated exclusive apparel deals with Adidas — all while Bulldogs programs boasted some of their best performances since the 1970s.

McClelland has navigated two schools through conference realignments, shepherding both the Bulldogs into Conference USA and the Owls into the American, overseeing both departments’ successful debut seasons in their new leagues.

Earning respect early in his career, McClelland was elevated to McNeese State University’s director of athletics at the age of 26. He helped raise more than $3 million in private donations and played a key role in corporate sponsorship buy-in.

McClelland serves at the helm of a Purdue Athletics department that is home to a proud history of leadership, with just four previous athletics directors over the past eight decades: Mike Bobinski (2016-26), Morgan Burke (1993-2016), George King Jr. (1971-92) and Guy “Red” Mackey (1942-71).

As a native of Basile, Louisiana, McClelland earned his bachelor’s degree from Northwestern State University in 2004 and master’s degree in sports administration in 2005. From walk-on status for Demons football to earning a scholarship, McClelland also earned a place with Northwestern State’s track and field team, competing in javelin.

In 2012, McClelland continued his growth in the field, graduating from the executive program of the Sports Management Institute and attending instruction at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Kenan-Flagler Business School and the University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business.

McClelland arrives in West Lafayette with wife, Jessica Stokes, and their two sons: Lawson and Grayson.

 

 

Purdue University Athletics Director History
Years	Name
1904-05	Oliver Cutts
1906-14	Hugh Nicol
1915-18	Oliver Cutts
1919-30	Nelson Kellogg
1931-36	Noble Kizer
1937	Robert Woodworth (acting)
1938-39	Noble Kizer
1940	Edward Elliott (acting)
1941	Allen "Mal" Elward
1942-71	Guy "Red" Mackey
1971-92	George King Jr.
1992	John Hicks (interim)
1993-2016	Morgan Burke
2016-26	Mike Bobinski
2026-present	Tommy McClelland