Mary Baldwin University

Thomas Byrnes assumes the duties of director of athletics at Mary Baldwin University in August 2019.

Byrnes' background encompasses NCAA Divisions I, II, and III and the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), as well as committee work for the NCAA, Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC), College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA), and others. He will provide leadership for all aspects of MBU's Athletics Department including strategic planning, program and staff development, resource management, athletics and recreational activities, and ensuring compliance with NCAA, USA South, Title IX, and university policies.

He joins MBU during a time of strategic planning and expansion of athletics offerings and facilities, such as the recent addition of six men's programs, including men's soccer and baseball, as well as the construction of SMA Worth Field.

In his most recent position as director of athletics at Johnson & Wales University (JWU) Denver, Byrnes oversaw a 500% increase in student-athlete recruitment and stewarded the school's NCAA D-III membership application after a lengthy membership in the NAIA, a multi-phase process. He also expanded JWU Denver's coaching and training staff, launched men's and women's golf programs, and initiated a student-athlete advisory committee.

Prior to JWU Denver, he served as the first full-time commissioner for the Capital Athletic Conference (CAC), based in York, Pa. He recruited member institutions for CAC, enhanced membership services for their 21 championship sports, worked with NCAA D-III staff and commissioner organizations, and represented the conference both regionally and nationally.

Byrnes also has years of experience on the sports information and media relations side of collegiate athletics, serving as sports information director (SID) at NCAA Division II California University of Pennsylvania, and, prior to that position, assistant executive director for media relations at the Pennsylvania-based Division I Patriot League. He started his career as the first full-time SID at Division III Franklin & Marshall College and then rose to the position of assistant director of athletics.

For more than 40 years, Byrnes has participated in soccer, basketball, baseball, and softball at the collegiate and scholastic level as an official. He also served on the CoSIDA Academic All-America Committee for 25 years.  Byrnes has also served as a first and second round NCAA site rep for men's and women's soccer as well as men's basketball more than 15 times.

He also volunteered for two decades as the coordinator of the PA State Senior Games Table Tennis and Raquetball championships as well as coached dozens of youth basketball, baseball and softball seasons over a 25-year stretch.

Byrnes earned a BA in communications/journalism and an MS in organizational communication, both from Shippensburg University in Pennsylvania. He and his wife, Coreena, have two children, Nathan and Lauren.