News Summary
Jon Palumbo has been named the new executive deputy athletics director and chief operating officer at Michigan State University. Previously serving at Georgia Tech, Palumbo’s expertise is expected to significantly benefit MSU’s athletics program. He will oversee finance, budgeting, and major operations, including the football program. His track record includes notable accomplishments like leading Georgia Tech to back-to-back bowl appearances and improving fan engagement initiatives. Palumbo’s diverse experience spans several institutions, indicating a strong capability to elevate MSU’s athletics.
East Lansing, Michigan – Jon Palumbo has been appointed as the executive deputy athletics director and chief operating officer at Michigan State University (MSU), effective in late July 2025. This announcement comes following his recent tenure at Georgia Tech, where he served in a similar capacity under Athletic Director J Batt. Palumbo’s experience and expertise are anticipated to bring a significant positive impact to MSU’s athletics program.
Palumbo’s previous role at Georgia Tech included leading the athletics department during a transitional period after Batt’s relocation to MSU. After Batt was hired, Palumbo took on the role of interim director of athletics at Georgia Tech. Now, he will transition to MSU, where he will hold the responsibility of primary sport administrator for the football program, in addition to overseeing finance and budgeting, event operations, facilities, capital projects, strategic initiatives, and equipment management.
MSU’s athletic community is looking forward to Palumbo’s contributions, as the athletic director has voiced enthusiasm about his knowledge and experience. Palumbo expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to join MSU and indicated that he aims to elevate the university’s athletics department.
Palumbo brings noteworthy accomplishments from his recent position at Georgia Tech. Under his leadership, the football program achieved back-to-back bowl appearances in 2023 and 2024. He also oversaw essential capital projects, including the development of the Thomas A. Fanning Student-Athlete Performance Center. Additionally, Palumbo established fan engagement initiatives, such as the launch of the Helluva Block Party, which aimed to enhance the overall fan experience.
In his time at Georgia Tech, Palumbo played a pivotal role in several key coaching appointments, securing the recruitment of Brent Key as the head football coach, Damon Stoudamire for men’s basketball, and Karen Blair for women’s basketball—a testament to his understanding of building winning programs.
Prior to his tenure at Georgia Tech, Palumbo was the director of athletics at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi from 2018 to 2022. During his leadership, the university celebrated a record number of athletic successes, including seven Southland Conference championships in the 2021-22 season, securing the Southland Conference’s first women’s all-sports championship, and winning the Academic Performance Award for the first time in history. He also facilitated the hiring of Steve Lutz as head men’s basketball coach, which led to the program’s first NCAA Tournament appearance in 15 years and its first NCAA tournament win in 2023.
Earlier in his career, Palumbo served as deputy athletics director at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) from 2012 to 2018, where he contributed to a string of five consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances. His earlier experience includes roles as associate athletic director at both the University of Maryland and American University, among others.
Palumbo’s foundational career kicked off as a business manager at The College of William & Mary and as a graduate assistant at LaSalle University. He is a former collegiate baseball player at LaSalle, where he served as the team captain and participated on the Athletics Relations Council. He graduated with honors in 2001 with a bachelor’s degree in communication and later earned an MBA from LaSalle in 2003.
In his personal life, Palumbo resides with his wife Rachel and their two Australian shepherds, Camden and Dan. His diverse and accomplished background positions him as a valuable asset to the Michigan State University athletics department.
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Additional Resources
- Michigan State Spartans – News Release
- Wikipedia: Michigan State University
- Lansing State Journal – MSU News
- Google Search: Michigan State University athletics
- Detroit News – Jon Palumbo Hired
- Google Scholar: Jon Palumbo Michigan State
- On3 – MSU to Hire Jon Palumbo
- Encyclopedia Britannica: Michigan State University
- 247Sports – Michigan State Athletic Director
- Google News: Jon Palumbo Michigan State
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