CHESTNUT HILL, MASS – William V. Campbell Athletics Director Blake James has announced the hiring of Eric Ziadi as Senior Associate Athletics Director of Business Operations. A former Division I athletic director, Ziadi returns to the Heights after previously serving in two senior administrative roles in the athletic department.
“We are excited to welcome Eric back to the Boston College athletics family,” James said. “Eric has extensive leadership experience in intercollegiate athletics over the past three decades, both on campus and at the conference level. His track record as a strong financial administrator and deep institutional knowledge of Boston College will be invaluable as we continue to increase our distribution of resources and grow our revenue.”
Ziadi has more than 15 years of experience at the Heights and most recently served as senior advisor to BC’s athletic director for the 2020-21 academic year. Prior to that, he spent 14 years on staff at Boston College, serving as Senior Associate Athletic Director (2010-12), Associate Athletic Director of Business Operations (2004-10) and Assistant Athletic Director (1998-2004) and long oversaw. – Regional fiscal and strategic planning for the department as well as managing day-to-day business and financial operations.
“I have always had great respect for Boston College, its mission and values, and the important role that athletics plays in the BC community,” Ziadi said. “I am excited to return to the Heights and join Blake and his team in collaboration with university leadership, our coaches and staff, and most importantly – our student-athletes for years to come.”
From 2012-15, Ziadi served as Director of Athletics and Recreation Services at the University of Delaware. While at Delaware, he spearheaded the completion of a $25 million renovation and 18,000-square-foot addition to the Carpenter Sports Building, a student recreation facility. In addition, Ziady led fundraising efforts for the renovation of UD’s baseball stadium, football facilities and indoor practice facilities in a five-year department-wide apparel tie-up with Adidas. During his tenure, UD teams won seven Colonial Athletic Association championships, including an NCAA Sweet 16 appearance in women’s basketball in 2013.
After serving as AD at Delaware, Ziadi served as the American Athletic Conference’s senior associate commissioner and chief financial officer from 2016-20. He oversaw all financial aspects of the conference, including serving on a four-person panel that negotiated the AAC’s $1 billion media rights partnership with ESPN. He led negotiations for the conference’s marketing rights, AAC bowl partnership agreements, and the site selection process for the men’s and women’s basketball championships.
Originally from Andover, Mass., Ziady began a career in athletics administration at Northeastern University, serving as the athletics director of finance and administration (1994-98) and assistant athletics business manager (1991-94).
Ziadi received a BA in Political Science with an emphasis in Business Studies from Providence College in 1988. He received a Masters in Sports Management in 1989, and an MBA from Northeastern University in 1994.
He and his wife Lauren are the parents of three children, Matthew, Lindsey and Courtney.