Jude Killy began his tenure as Director of Athletics on Jan. 30, 2023 and was elevated to Vice President and Director of Athletics in the fall of 2025.
Killy is a respected leader focused on elevating Maine athletics to a top five Division I university in greater New England through developing champions with integrity.
During his time at the University of Maine, Killy has elevated the athletics department with his student-athlete focused approach towards achieving excellence in academics, competition, and philanthropy while instilling a sense of pride in leading Maine’s only Division I university.
Since joining UMaine in 2023, the Black Bears have achieved numerous individual and team championships under Killy’s leadership and department vision. He negotiated and ushered Maine’s new agreement with like-minded New Balance Inc. as the official footwear and apparel provider for the Black Bears
Academic success has been a pillar of Killy’s vision for the department. Since 2023, the Black Bears have twice been the runner-ups for the Walter Harrison Academic Cup. The Academic Cup is presented annually to the institution whose America East student-athletes post the highest grade-point average during that academic year. In 2025, the field hockey program achieved the highest GPA in all of Division-I field hockey while the women’s basketball team has consistently earned a spot in the WBCA Top-25 Team Honor Rolls.
In 2025, the Black Bears celebrated a record-setting fundraising year with $22.9 million in gifts and pledges made to directly support Black Bear athletics. A highlight of the $22.9 million commitments was a historic $16 million donation from the estates of Black Bear alumnus ‘Pete’ Labat and his wife Catherine Clair Labat.
In 2024, Killy and the Black Bears announced an $80 million supplement in financial support from the Harold Alfond Foundation toward facility improvements benefitting all 17 varsity programs. The increase boosted the Alfond Foundation's total commitment to UMaine Athletics to $170 million, representing one of the largest single contributions to a Division I athletics program, honoring Harold Alfond's legacy of support of the athletics facilities master plan under the UMS TRANSFORMS initiative. In addition to the philanthropic efforts, the department also saw its highest revenue totals in ticket sales and sponsorships through Killy’s first three years at UMaine.
Killy managed Maine’s $208 million Athletics Facilities Master Plan which included the opening of the $9.5 million Pierre & Catherine Labat Softball Complex, $8.3 million Maine Field Hockey Complex, the $27.3 million dollar New Balance Soccer and Track & Field Complex, the $48 million renovation project for the Shawn Walsh Hockey Center and Alfond Arena, and the $60 million Morse Arena with an anticipated open targeted for the 2027-28 basketball season.
In his first three years at UMaine, Killy created a new organization structure and culture for the department through the implementation of Black Bear Vision, a goals oriented initiative using structure Objectives and Key Results (OKR). OKR is a collaborative goal-setting methodology used by teams and individuals to set challenging, ambitious goals with measurable results. OKRs are how you track progress, create alignment, and encourage engagement around measurable goals. He also played a key role in the development and implementation of the department’s new mission, vision, and values for improved alignment.
Under the new landscape and direction of college athletics, Killy took a strategic approach towards providing Maine’s student-athletes with new NIL opportunities and a system and support of direct pay through the newly created Black Bears Student-Athlete Experience Fund. Killy also administered the addition of a full-time therapist within athletics and a nutrition station for student-athlete support.
An active participant on UMaine’s President's Cabinet, Killy serves nationally on the Executive Committee for the FCS Athletics Directors Association, the Executive Committee for Hockey East, and the Executive Committee for the America East.
Killy was a member of the Miami (Ohio) University community from 2008 until early 2023. He was deputy director of athletics and chief of staff from 2018-2023, overseeing the operations of the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics. His fundraising experiences includes both annual fund and major gift solicitation and spans nearly 20 years on a college campus. Killy also served as a sport supervisor for men's basketball, baseball, men's ice hockey, men's and women's swimming and diving and synchronized skating, and assisted with football while at Miami.
Killy, who served as campaign manager for the $80 million Graduating Champions Campaign, which raised more than $82 million, directed the Miami University athletic development team to five of its best fiscal years. He assisted in soliciting and securing multiple six and seven-figure gifts for several of Miami University's newest facility projects.
Killy also implemented external strategies to enhance revenue generation and the game day experience with a result in combined ticket sales for football, men's and women's basketball, ice hockey, and volleyball increasing and surpassing more than $1 million each year. Specific to hockey, Killy implemented donor-based seating, helping to lead the program to its highest ticket sales revenue ever.
Aside from his sport supervision, Killy has significant experience with support staff oversight throughout his career and has served as a liaison to the President's Office, university business and finance, university advancement, accounts payable, strategic procurement and human resources and legal.
Prior to Miami University, Killy served as director of athletic development operations from 2002–05 at the University of Pittsburgh before being promoted in 2006 to Pittsburgh's director of annual fund.
Killy earned a bachelor's degree in communications from John Carroll University and a Master of Sports Administration from Ohio University.
Killy and his wife, Beth, have two daughters, Jessica (Miami University graduate) and Elise (current UMaine student).
