E.J. BROPHY ANNOUNCED AS ATHLETIC DIRECTOR AND VICE PRESIDENT OF ATHLETICS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TAMPA

TAMPA, Fla. – E.J. Brophy, currently associate athletic director for development at Samford University, has been named athletic director and vice president of athletics at the University of Tampa after a comprehensive national search. He will officially join UTampa on Oct. 1.

Brophy brings to UTampa nearly three decades of experience in collegiate athletics with a progressive track record across leadership, fundraising and student success.

As a member of the Athletic Senior Leadership Team at Samford, Brophy has been charged with identifying and soliciting potential new donors, and stewarding dozens of donor accounts. He was also the director of the Varsity Letterwinner S-Club, which connects former student-athletes with each other and with Samford.

Previously, Brophy worked a total of 13 years as the director of athletics at University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), and prior to that, at the University of West Alabama (UWA). In both positions Brophy coordinated all external and internal facets of the athletic department, and was the chief fundraiser.

At UAH, Brophy aggressively marketed the athletics program, with teams winning multiple conference titles and qualifying for national championships. At UWA, where Brophy was nominated as Division 2 Athletic Director of the Year, Brophy improved athletics facilities, enhanced the university's booster club, successfully negotiated corporate partnerships and radio broadcast agreements, and created the Junior Tiger Kids Club.

Prior to UWA, Brophy worked at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) as the assistant athletic director for external affairs and prior to that as assistant director of athletic development.

Brophy also has experience in coaching as the head baseball coach at Wallace Community College Selma (AL), assistant baseball coach at University of Montevallo (AL), and head assistant baseball coach at Samford.

Brophy also played professional baseball for the Philadelphia Phillies Organization, and was a student-athlete at UAB.

Teresa Abi-Nader Dahlberg, president of UTampa, said she was impressed by Brophy's depth of experience in collegiate athletics as an administrator, fundraiser, coach and player, and for his commitment to developing student-athletes.

"E.J. Brophy brings nearly 30 years of successful experience in collegiate athletics and has a passion for helping students develop both on the field and the classroom, and in the community," Dahlberg said. "E.J.'s experience will continue the upward trajectory of UTampa's athletics success, while enhancing game-day experiences, revenue-generation and positioning athletics as engagement for the UTampa community."

The athletics director (AD) and vice president of athletics at UTampa provides oversight of all athletics programs, including the hiring and supervision of coaching and administrative staff; strategic planning to respond to current and future program needs and ambitions; and oversight of the department's budget and revenue generation efforts.

Brophy said he was attracted to UTampa given the University's focus on student character and values, and for the reputation that UTampa has of being one of the premier Division 2 athletics program in the country.

"UTampa has a strong athletics tradition and culture of excellence, and is a model for athletic and academic success," Brophy said. "I'm eager to build relationships with the campus community, donors, alumni, and the greater Tampa Bay area. Most of all I look forward to joining a forward-thinking, innovative institution and making a difference in elevating the athletic program so it benefits the entire University community, and especially provides an outstanding learning experience for students and student-athletes."

Brophy holds a bachelor's and master's degree in physical education and a Ph.D. in educational leadership, all from UAB.

Brophy replaces Larry Marfise, who has successfully served UTampa for over 26 years. During Marfise's tenure, UTampa teams captured 17 NCAA Division II national championships along with five AVCA Small College Beach Volleyball national titles. He also created gender equity plans, introduced new teams, increased participation and school spirit, oversaw athletics fundraising, improved athletic facilities, and consistently saw team GPAs at or above UTampa's overall student GPAs.

The University of Tampa is a private, comprehensive university located on 110 acres on the riverfront in downtown Tampa. Known for academic excellence, personal attention and community-engaged experiential learning in its undergraduate and graduate programs, the University has about 200 programs of study and serves approximately 11,500 students from all 50 states and most of the world's countries.

-UTampa-

Editor's Note: A photo of Brophy is available by contacting the UTampa Office of Communications and Public Affairs at (813) 253-6232.