Georgia Southern University President Dr. Kyle Marrero has announced the promotion of Chris Davis to the role of Director of Athletics following the resignation of Jared Benko on Wednesday. Davis, who has served as the Chief Operating Officer of Athletics at Georgia Southern, will report directly to the University president, serve as a member of the President's Cabinet and oversee 17 NCAA Division I varsity athletics programs, 16 of which compete in the Sun Belt Conference. Davis will officially start on Nov. 15.
"I am truly honored to be given the opportunity to serve in the role of director of athletics at Georgia Southern," Davis said. "I want to first thank Dr. Kyle Marrero for entrusting me to lead this department. We're already doing special things here and I'm excited to be a part of the continued upward trajectory of Georgia Southern University and Athletics under Dr. Marrero's leadership. I'd also like to thank Jared Benko for allowing me to come work at this great institution four years ago, laying the foundation I needed to be ready if this day came. I understand the passion and culture of Eagle Nation and I also know that we're in a great place today thanks to Jared and his leadership. I look forward to a smooth transition with our student-athletes, coaches, staff, donors and fans as we continue to soar to great heights. This is an exciting day for me and my family and I couldn't have done this without their love and support. Hail Southern!"
A veteran leader with over two decades of experience at the college level, Davis began with the Eagles in June of 2020 and has had a major role in several different areas with the department, including external operations, which includes communications, ticketing, marketing, GATA Productions, creative services, brand licensing, game operations and Georgia Southern Sports Properties, along with facilities, capital projects, contracts, equipment services and human resources.
"Georgia Southern's vision — 'People, Purpose, Action: Growing Ourselves to Grow Others' — is exemplified in the careful planning, development, and culture of excellence cultivated under Jared Benko's leadership," Georgia Southern President Kyle Marrero said. "With that foundation, I am thrilled to announce Chris Davis as our new Director of Athletics at Georgia Southern. Chris is a proven leader who has been instrumental in our success over the past four and a half years. He is highly respected by our coaches, student-athletes, university leadership, and across the national athletic landscape, having served in leadership positions at multiple top-level institutions. I am confident and enthusiastic about the future of Georgia Southern Athletics with Chris at the helm."
As the Department's No. 2 leader, Davis oversaw daily operations of the Athletic Department and provided administrative direction for all intercollegiate athletics staff, programs, facilities and activities. He led the sport administrator leadership team as the sport supervisor for football and men's golf and provided consultation and counsel to the director of athletics. Davis worked with constituents from across campus as a member of the Emergency Management Committee and the Clery Act Compliance Committee and had lead roles in the construction of the Anthony P. Tippins Family Training Facility, the Jack and Ruth Ann Hill Convocation Center, the J.I. Clements Stadium renovation as well as numerous additional athletics facilities projects totaling over $100 million.
Davis came to Statesboro after four years at Auburn (May 2016-June 2020). There, he served as the vice president/general manager of Auburn Sports Properties, a division of Fox Sports College Properties for Auburn Athletics. Davis helped increase revenue each year for all four years with regional, statewide and local corporate partners, overseeing the unprecedented growth of the Auburn Athletics Corporate Partnership MMR team. Under his leadership and guidance, the Auburn Sports Network team delivered a first-class product to a worldwide audience across multiple platforms.
Prior to his second stint on The Plains, Davis was the general manager for Nebraska IMG Sports Marketing and the Husker IMG Sports Network from July 2015 to May 2016, helping increase revenue to continue to grow the Husker brand.
From November 2009 to June 2015, Davis worked for the Auburn IMG Sports Marketing and ISP Sports Network, first serving as the assistant general manager before being promoted to associate general manager. In 2014, he won the IMG President's Cup Award for being No. 1 in IMG college sales. He also previously worked for Marshall Thundering Herd ISP Sports Network from 2008 to 2009 as the senior account executive.
Davis will step into a role with high expectations to build on a Georgia Southern athletics history that includes seven national titles, 86 conference championships and 185 All-Americans. Eagle Athletics includes over 450 student-athletes representing 11 women's sports and six men's sports and is in the midst of a record-setting stretch of department GPA, fundraising and capital projects.
A native of Pottsville, Pennsylvania, Davis graduated from the University of Miami with a Bachelor of Business Administration in business management in 2003. He began his career in college athletics as a sports marketing associate upon completing his undergraduate degree at Miami, working with re-branding of the official marks and logos and developing marketing plans for several assigned sports. He also served as the school's mascot, Sebastian the Ibis, all four years while in Coral Gables.
Davis is married to Randi Davis and they have a son, Colt, and two daughters, Harper and Tatum.
The public and the University community are invited to a press conference with Davis at 4 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 4 in the Jack and Ruth Ann Hill Convocation Center before heading over to Hanner Fieldhouse for the men's basketball season opener against Northern Illinois at 7 p.m.
What They're Saying:
"I trust Chris Davis. He has integrity and experience beyond his years. He is a tireless worker who has a high care factor in both his work life and family. It was evident early on in our time together at Auburn that personal relationships and putting people on a path to success were a top priority for him and I'm excited to watch him do great things as the new director of athletics at Georgia Southern." Bruce Pearl, Auburn head men's basketball coach
"I knew that Chris Davis was special as soon as we first started working together and I couldn't be happier for him. Chris is one of the rising stars in collegiate athletics and there's no doubt he'll have great success at Georgia Southern." Gus Malzahn, UCF head football coach
"I couldn't be more excited for Chris, Randi, and their family. Since joining us in 2020, Chris has played a pivotal role in our success and has been deeply involved in every key decision we've made as a leadership team. I have no doubt he will excel in this new role. Chris brings relentless dedication, exceptional people skills, and empathetic leadership—qualities that make him perfectly suited for this opportunity. His hard work has earned him this position, and there is no one more deserving to serve Eagle Nation. Hail Southern!" Jared Benko, Georgia Southern Athletics
"I am so excited for Chris and for Georgia Southern! I've been blessed to know Chris on both a personal and professional level and can confidently say that the Eagles not only elevated an incredibly talented and respected administrator but more importantly, they have a great person and principled leader for every coach, student-athlete, fan and partner. Perfect fit and great hire!" Laird Veatch, University of Missouri Director of Athletics
"Chris Davis was a tremendous leader at Auburn Sports Properties and a positive force within our management team. Chris always operates with great integrity, deft people skills, and a spirit of innovation which led to stellar results from his team. Georgia Southern has a great executive at the helm to navigate the challenges and opportunities of college sports moving forward. Congratulations to Chris and Georgia Southern!" Kyle Sherman, former president of FOX Sports