Baylor University has selected a new athletic director and it is at the same time unconventional and makes sense.
According to SicEm365, Baylor is finalizing the hire of Doug McNamee as the university’s new athletic director, who is president of the historic outdoor lifestyle brand Field & Stream, which used to be a print publication dating back to the 1800s.
McNamee has two degrees from Baylor and was part of the athletic department for five years from 2012 to 2017.
The university departed from AD Mack Rhoades, who was in place since 2016, after reports emerged of Rhoades using vulgar language and possibly become physical with a player. Rhoades was reportedly upset that tight end Michael Trigg was wearing a long-sleeved yellow shirt under his uniform.
GettyWASHINGTON, DC – APRIL 29: U.S. President Donald Trump greets Baylor University Vice President and Director of Athletics Mack Rhoades as the university women’s NCAA championship basketball team visits the Oval Office at the White House April 29, 2019 in Washington, DC. Although the NCAA champion University of Virginia men’s basketball team is skipping a visit to the White House, the Baylor players visited the Oval Office three weeks after winning its third national title with an 82-81 victory over Notre Dame. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Doug McNamee is Well-Known at Baylor
McNamee joined Baylor Athletics in 2012 as an assistant AD for premium tickets within the university’s sports foundation. According to the report, he advanced quickly, becoming a senior associate AD and, in 2015, taking over leadership of the foundation, where he helped shape the department’s annual giving strategy.
In 2017, McNamee was promoted to senior associate AD for external relations, overseeing Baylor’s external relations unit and directing efforts in communications, fan engagement, new media, the spirit program, and ticket services. He also served on the search committee that hired head football coach Matt Rhule ahead of the 2017 season.
According to his LinkedIn, McNamee’s 2003 bachelor’s degree is in speech and he has a master’s degree in sport management, graduating in 2005.
McNamee Has Been in Marketing, Not Football, Since 2018
McNamee left Baylor Athletics in 2018 to become the president of Magnolia, the nationally recognized brand founded by Baylor graduates Chip and Joanna Gaines and now synonymous with Waco.
McNamee later became president of Field & Stream in 2022, which has been an online-only publication since 2020. During this period, he also collaborated closely with musicians Eric Church and Morgan Wallen on a variety of marketing initiatives.
With a background in branding and business, McNamee’s skills could find success in the NIL era in college football.
One of McNamee’s first priorities will be stabilizing Baylor football under coach Dave Aranda, whom the university retained despite increasing frustration among fans.
After a 12-2 season and a Big 12 championship in 2021, the Bears have struggled, posting a 22-28 record over the past four seasons.
“We have to really work with our donors to step up. We have to work with sponsorships, we have to work on companies that will walk beside us for NIL sponsorships,” Baylor president Linda Livingstone recently told ESPN. “That’s going to be a really big focus for a new athletic director. … That’s what many, many institutions are looking at right now. How do we supplement and grow financial support for athletics in a way that’s different than we’ve done it in the past that doesn’t put as much burden on our institutions?”
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