Harrison met fans and the media Wednesday morning on the Marshall campus
By Bill Cornwell
Gerald Harrison has traded the red and black of Austin Peay State University for Marshall’s signature Kelly green.
Harrison’s hiring as Marshall’s 23rd Director of Athletics was approved Monday by the university’s Board of Governors. He was introduced Wednesday morning during an event at the Brad D. Smith Center for Business and Innovation, where he met fans and the media.
Harrison said he wasted no time in expressing his interest in the position.
“This is one of America’s great institutions of higher learning,” Harrison said. “We want to make Marshall Athletics just as great as the rest of the university. When I interviewed, I let them know that I wanted this job.”
Harrison said he was impressed by the welcome he received during his visit to Huntington two weeks ago, describing how strangers greeted him warmly and made him feel at home.
He outlined several guiding principles that he plans to bring to his leadership at Marshall.
“It’s important that every Herd fan, athlete, coach—even community members—work together to build one of the most complete athletic departments in the nation,” he said. “We need to educate, participate and recruit others into what we’re building with Marshall Athletics.”
Harrison added that hard work and strategic thinking are key to long-term success.
“This will help us build a culture of winning,” he said. “I call it a ‘Herd Mentality.’ Let’s not just do something special—but something extraordinary. I’ve got to get to work.”
Marshall University President Brad D. Smith said Harrison’s hiring marks a significant step forward in the school’s athletic identity.
“We knew that we were not just filling a job, but answering a calling,” Smith said. “We found the one person who had all of the attributes we sought. Gerald is a builder. He’s community-minded, a winner, and he connects with everyone. We humbly hand this torch to him.”
Harrison had served as Austin Peay’s Director of Athletics since 2018. Before that, he held leadership roles in the athletic departments at Duke and Tennessee.
His hiring follows an agreement earlier this spring between current Athletic Director Christian Spears and Marshall officials that Spears’ contract would not be renewed when it expires in March 2026.
Harrison brings a proven track record of success. At Austin Peay, his teams captured 13 championships—including three in football—and maintained a department-wide GPA of 3.0 or higher for 16 consecutive semesters.
His tenure also included record-setting achievements in corporate sponsorship and ticket sales across football, men’s basketball and baseball. In 2022, Harrison secured a $15 million financial pledge—the largest in school history.
Another career milestone was his collaboration with the NHL’s Nashville Predators, which resulted in the formation of Sabertooth Sports & Entertainment and the construction of F&M Bank Arena in downtown Clarksville, Tenn. That partnership drove a 33% increase in athletic department revenue during the 2022–23 academic year.
Sean Henry, president and CEO of the Nashville Predators, praised Harrison’s leadership and friendship.
“I’ve had the privilege of working closely with Gerald Harrison on countless efforts across the greater Smashville community—from his impact at Austin Peay and throughout Montgomery County to his presence in the heart of Nashville,” Henry said. “Building an arena together to reshape what was possible for Austin Peay athletics was a milestone in both of our careers. It’s no surprise that a university as respected as Marshall has chosen Gerald as its next Athletic Director. While I’ll certainly miss working with him day to day, I look forward to watching him build on Marshall’s proud tradition with the vision, integrity and energy that define him.”
Harrison currently serves on the NCAA Division I Council and the NCAA Football Oversight Committee. He has also been a member of the NCAA Football Championship Committee, the NCAA Competition Oversight Committee, the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics and the American Football Coaches Association.
He’s earned praise from some of the biggest names in college sports, including South Carolina head football coach Shane Beamer.
“I’m so excited for Gerald and his family for this opportunity at Marshall,” Beamer said. “Marshall made a home run hire. I’ve known Gerald since we were both getting into the profession 25 years ago. It was evident then that he was going to go a long way in this industry, and he has. Marshall has a great athletics program with great tradition. He will embrace that and make it even better.”
College Football Hall of Famer and former Tennessee head coach Phillip Fulmer, who worked with Harrison in Knoxville, also spoke highly of the hire.
“I am so proud of Gerald Harrison as he continues to move up professionally and personally,” Fulmer said. “Gerald is an exceptional administrator, fundraiser and manager of people and processes. He’s a people-person and an advocate for coaches and student-athletes. He will be fantastic for Marshall University.”