Joe Foley has been named the new director of athletics at Merrimack College, President Christopher E. Hopey, Ph.D. announced on Monday, April 7. He will officially start at Merrimack College on Wednesday, May 14.
Foley comes to North Andover after serving as assistant vice chancellor for development, athletic giving and senior associate athletics director at Texas Christian University since 2023.
“I am very excited to welcome Joe to Merrimack College and the Warrior family,” said President Hopey. “During our nationwide search, Joe quickly established himself as the top choice for us. His wealth of experience, particularly in fundraising and philanthropy, will be extremely valuable as we continue to grow Merrimack Athletics’ national reputation in the ever-changing college athletic landscape.”
“Thank you to President Hopey and Fr. Bryan Kerns, O.S.A. for entrusting me with this opportunity,” Foley said. “It is an incredible honor to be joining an elite and value-driven academic institution with such great competitive tradition. The momentum behind Merrimack College and its athletics programs is extraordinary, but it is the potential and opportunities ahead that really excite me. My family and I are thrilled to join the Merrimack College community as we will seek to pursue comprehensive excellence and championship-caliber experiences for Warrior student-athletes.”
As TCU Athletics’ chief development officer, Foley oversaw all aspects of major giving, annual giving, stewardship, alumni relations and marketing programs through the Frog Club, the department’s principal fundraising office. He also worked closely with TCU Athletics’ external relations operations and the TCU NIL collective.
In recent years, TCU saw some of its highest totals in athletic giving and new records for ticket and licensing revenues.
Prior to TCU, Foley spent seven years at Penn State University, where he led all of the athletic department’s fundraising efforts through a $2.1 billion university-wide campaign. His responsibilities included day-to-day management of the Penn State All-Sports Museum, as well as fundraising for capital projects including renovations to the Lasch Football Building, construction of the new Panzer Lacrosse Stadium and renovations to the men’s and women’s basketball locker rooms.
He has also held fundraising, development and revenue-generating leadership roles in athletic departments at the University of Maryland, Boston College, the University of Richmond and Ohio University.
Foley was a four-year letter winner on the Northeastern University track and field team, helping the Huskies win five America East Conference titles. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Northeastern and received his master of business administration and master of sport administration from Ohio University.
A native of Worcester, Mass., Foley and his wife Emily have three children, Thomas, James and Peter.
