Vice President Intercollegiate Athletics and Director Athletics
Bryan Blair
Bryan Blair assumed his post as vice president for intercollegiate athletics and director of athletics at The University of Toledo on May 1, 2022.
Blair is the 14th athletic director in the history of UToledo and the first African-American to hold
the post. He comes to UToledo after serving as the deputy athletic director and chief
operating officer at Washington State University since 2018.
At Washington State, Blair led a team of sport administrators responsible for day-to-day
oversight of 17 varsity sports programs and oversaw several departmental units focused
on student-athlete success. Among his responsibilities was managing the university's
Nike contract, serving as the chief diversity officer in athletics, and overseeing
the development and execution of WSU's athletic strategic plan. During Blair's tenure,
the Cougars excelled on and off the court, competing for NCAA championships, setting
cumulative GPA records, doubling yearly fundraising to more than $30 million, and
securing 50 of the top 70 largest gifts in WSU athletic history.
Prior to his term at WSU, Blair was the senior associate athletic director at Rice
University from 2014-18, which was his second stint at that school. He also served
at Rice for the first time as a compliance coordinator from 2011-12. While serving
as senior associate AD at Rice, he served as a member of the athletics department's
senior leadership team, while overseeing sports medicine, strength and conditioning,
sports nutrition, compliance, and seven of the department's 16 NCAA Division I sports
programs. In addition, Blair served as the advisor for the Student-Athlete Advisory
Committee (SAAC), and helped secure a multimillion-dollar partnership, one of the
largest in Rice Athletics history.
In between his stints at Rice, Blair worked at the University of South Carolina as
the assistant director of compliance services from 2012-14. He also worked at the
NCAA Offices in Indianapolis as an academic and membership affairs postgraduate intern
from 2010-11.
A rising star in intercollegiate athletics, Blair was selected to serve on the National
Sports Forum's Steering Committee and the Board of Directors for the Minority Opportunities
Athletic Association.
In 2016, Blair was chosen for the nationally acclaimed D1A Institute (now "LEAD1").
The goal of the institute is to help the participants, nominated by their universities'
athletics directors, be better prepared to move into the role of athletics director.
After the Institute, Blair was recognized by LEAD1 President and CEO, Tom McMillen,
as a "Future Leader of College Sports."
Blair was selected among 25 senior-level administrators from across the country to
participate in the prestigious 2017 NCAA Pathway Program. The program is designed
to elevate those currently in senior-level positions within athletics administration
to the next step in reaching their goal of becoming directors of athletics. The year-long
program is an intensive, experiential learning opportunity for selected participants
representing NCAA Divisions I, II and III.
Blair holds a law degree from the University of South Carolina and earned his undergraduate
degree in history at Wofford College. He played four seasons as a nose tackle for
the Wofford football team from 2003-06. He was a team captain as a senior in 2006
and was named the team's Defensive Lineman of the Year.
Blair and his wife, Jenna, have two children, Brielle and Beau.
Bryan Blair
Savage Hall
Room 1116 Mail Stop 302
Phone: 419.530.4987
Fax: 419.530.8429
ToledoAD@utoledo.edu
Rebecca Lugo
Executive Assistant
Phone: 419.530.5297
Fax: 419.530.8429
rebecca.lugo@utoledo.edu