The University of San Francisco Names Brent Blaylock as Athletic Director

SAN FRANCISCO, June 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The University of San Francisco (USF) has announced Brent Blaylock as its new Athletic Director. Blaylock most recently served as Executive Deputy Athletic Director and Chief Operating Officer at Oregon State University. Before Oregon State, Blaylock worked at the University of Arizona from 2017 to 2024, where he served in a variety of roles, including the Senior Associate Director of Athletics for Administration and Institutional Control. An experienced sports industry leader, Blaylock has spent more than 20 years with both professional and collegiate sport organizations. Brent Blaylock will begin his new role immediately.

"I look forward to working with Brent to accelerate USF's national reputation as one of the top Jesuit powerhouses, with a storied legacy of athletes dating back to the '51 Dons football team and the back-to-back national champion basketball teams in 1955 and 1956, led by Bill Russell," said USF President Salvador D. Aceves. "Together, we will elevate USF Athletics through increased philanthropic engagement, expanded revenue, and by providing outstanding experiences for student-athletes, staff, donors, and fans."

"I am honored to lead the University of San Francisco Athletics Department during this transformative period for college athletics," said Blaylock. "I am thankful for the confidence that President Aceves and the Board have placed in me, and for their unwavering commitment to student-athletes. I look forward to expanding upon the university's culture of excellence and supporting the performance of our student-athletes and coaches, as well as taking advantage of new opportunities for growth and success. This program is well-positioned to be bold, forward-thinking, and adaptive, while honoring the university's rich athletic and Jesuit traditions. I am excited to build relationships with student-athletes, staff, campus partners, donors, and the San Francisco community as we begin this pivotal new chapter for USF Athletics."

At Oregon State University, Blaylock led the day-to-day operations of the Athletics Department and served as a primary liaison to the Oregon State University Foundation. As a member of the OSU Executive Team, he was a key contributor to the significant growth of philanthropic and revenue generation initiatives. During his tenure, he oversaw a wide range of department programs, including academics, capital projects, compliance and governance, event management, and student-athlete development. He also led the sport supervisors team and supervised the baseball, football, men's basketball, and wrestling programs. 

In his roles at the University of Arizona, he led the sports administration program and had oversight of men's basketball, men's and women's golf, and women's soccer programs. Blaylock was a member of the Arizona Athletics leadership team, where he was the primary liaison to the Pac-12 for football and men's basketball, chaired the Big 12 Transition Team, led the implementation of department strategic initiatives, coordinated the construction of Clements Golf Center, and created The Arizona EDGE program (NIL). He also led efforts in the hiring of coaches and the internal operations of the department.

Blaylock has prior experience on multiple committees, including being selected to the NCAA Amateurism Fact-Finding Committee, NCAA Division 1 Football Playing Rules Committee, Pac-12 Football and Men's Basketball Administrators Working Groups, Pac-12 Legislative Committee, Oregon State Athletics Revenue Generation Working Group, and being part of an assortment of committees across multiple institutions focused on student-athlete well-being and success. 

Stephanie Shrieve-Hawkins, who has served as USF's interim athletic director since October 2025, will return to her role as deputy athletic director for administration and facilities. Having stepped into the interim athletic director role during a period of loss for the USF community, Shrieve-Hawkins provided steady leadership marked by thoughtful decision-making and a deep commitment to the university's student-athletes, coaches, and staff. Her guidance was instrumental in helping USF Athletics move forward with purpose, and it will continue to be moving forward.

About USF Athletics
University of San Francisco (USF) Athletics, home of the Dons, sponsors 14 NCAA Division I programs and competes in the West Coast Conference. Guided by the university's Jesuit mission and commitment to developing the whole person, USF Athletics empowers student-athletes to pursue excellence in competition, in the classroom, and in service to their communities. Located at the center of everything San Francisco has to offer, the Dons cultivate leaders prepared to make a positive impact while representing the university with pride, integrity, and ambition. For more information, visit usfdons.com. For updates and more information on University of San Francisco Athletics, follow the Dons @DonsAthletics on X, @DonsAthletics on Instagram, @DonsAthletics on Facebook, @DonsAthletics on TikTok, and subscribe to our YouTube Channel @USFDonsAthletics.

About the University of San Francisco
The University of San Francisco is a private, Jesuit Catholic university that reflects the diversity, optimism, and opportunities of the city that surrounds it. USF offers more than 230 undergraduate, graduate, professional, and certificate programs in the arts and sciences, business, law, education, and nursing and health professions. At USF, each course is an intimate learning community in which top professors encourage students to turn learning into positive action, so the students graduate equipped to do well in the world — and inspired to change it for the better. For more information, visit usfca.edu.

SOURCE University of San Francisco