Grand Valley State’s Doug Lipinski Named as WT’s New VP of Athletics

Copy by Chip Chandler, 806-651-2124, cchandler@wtamu.edu

CANYON, Texas — West Texas A&M University today named Doug Lipinski as its new vice president of athletics.

Lipinski, currently a deputy director of athletics at Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Michigan, was selected in a national search.

“I personally spoke with some of the best Division II athletic directors in the country, and Doug’s name came up time and again,” WT President Walter V. Wendler said. “Doug has years of experience at Grand Valley State, the leading Division II intercollegiate athletics program in the nation, and his commitment to excellence, hard work and leadership will ensure that he can build on WT’s foundation of academic and athletic excellence.”

Lipinski has spent 22 years at GVSU, his alma mater and a 16-time Learfield Director’s Cup champion. He will begin his WT duties Aug. 28.

He will be welcomed to the community at an upcoming public event.

Lipinski, who will move to Canyon with his family, including wife Carrie and sons Adam and Lukas, said he was eager to make his mark at WT.

“I am honored and humbled to be named WT’s vice president of athletics,” Lipinski said. “I want to thank President Wendler for his championship vision and trust to lead one of the best NCAA DII athletics departments in the country. I am grateful to Provost Neil Terry for his leadership during this process. My family and I are extremely excited to be part of the Canyon community and Buff Nation.

“I look forward to working together with our dedicated staff, coaches and talented student-athletes,” Lipinski continued. “We will continue to strive to create the best student-athlete experience while competing for championships.”

Lipinski earned a bachelor’s in advertising and public relations and a Master of Public Administration at GVSU. He was a four-year member of the varsity baseball team and spent the subsequent four years as an assistant to coach Steve Lyon before moving into administrative roles.

Currently, he serves as GVSU’s deputy athletic director for external relations, overseeing all marketing and promotions, communications, ticketing, digital marketing, multimedia, corporate sponsorships, annual giving, merchandise and licensing. He and his team have won more than 100 National Association of College Marketing Administrators awards, and he has led the university in finalizing the largest sponsorship deals in its history.

A 14-person search committee led by Dr. Neil Terry, WT’s provost and executive vice president for academic affairs, was formed in May, following the resignation of longtime athletic director Michael McBroom.

“Doug is one of the most highly regarded leaders in athletics with extensive experience in areas such as marketing, broadcasting, personnel management, facilities planning, student-athlete development, compliance and external relations,” Terry said. “He is the perfect person to guide future WT strategic initiatives in the increasingly complex world of collegiate athletics.”

McBroom announced his departure in April.

In the last 20 years, WT Athletics has achieved previously unseen levels of success.

Key accomplishments include:

• Nine national championships and more than 100 Lone Star Conference and NCAA regional championships;

• Nearly $100 million in new athletics facilities construction and renovations, including construction of the Bain Athletic Complex and Bain-Schaeffer Buffalo Stadium, an on-campus facility picked as the top Division II football stadium in the country;

• More than $40 million in gifts and external support for scholarships, facilities and team operating funds;

• Top 10 finishes in the NCAA Division II Directors Cup every year since 2013; 

• New attendance and ticket records in every sport; 

• The first institution in the LSC to provide full scholarship funding to all women’s teams; 

• A 37 percent improvement in the academic success rate and GPAs of student-athletes.

Recruiting, retaining and rewarding the best faculty, staff and administrators is a key mission of the University’s long-range plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World.

That plan is fueled by the historic One West comprehensive fundraising campaign, which reached its initial $125 million goal 18 months after publicly launching in September 2021. The campaign’s new goal is to reach $175 million by 2025; currently, it has raised nearly $160 million.

About West Texas A&M University

WT is located in Canyon, Texas, on a 342-acre residential campus. Established in 1910, the University has been part of The Texas A&M University System since 1990. WT, a Hispanic Serving Institution since 2016, boasts an enrollment of about 10,000 and offers 59 undergraduate degree programs and more than 40 graduate degrees, including two doctoral degrees. The University is also home to the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, the largest history museum in the state and the home of one of the Southwest’s finest art collections. The Buffaloes are a member of the NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference and offers 14 men’s and women’s athletics programs.

—WT—