Ball State Names Dr. Lauren Rhodes As Senior Associate Athletic Director for Administration/COO
January 29, 2025 | General
MUNCIE, Ind. – Dr. Lauren Rhodes has been named Ball State's senior associate athletic director for administration/COO, it was announced today by Director of Athletics Jeff Mitchell.
Most recently at Penn State where she served as the deputy AD for student-athlete welfare and development, she also was the Nittany Lions' senior woman administrator (SWA) from 2021 to 2024. Rhodes brings a 13-year resume to Ball State, where she assumes responsibility for the athletic departments' day-to-day internal operations and business affairs.
"I am thrilled to welcome Dr. Rhodes and her family to Ball State," said Mitchell. "She is a vibrant leader in higher education and intercollegiate athletics, and her diverse skillset will add considerable value to the work we are performing at Ball State. As we embrace this period of change in our enterprise, Lauren's background in business administration and student achievement enables us to continue providing a quality Ball State experience for student-athletes while also exploring new avenues for competitive success."
A graduate of the University of Maryland with master's degrees from Georgetown University and Jacksonville University, and a doctorate from Jacksonville, Rhodes added, "I am excited to join the Ball State Athletics team. This is an incredible opportunity to serve alongside talented colleagues and support the growth and success of our student-athletes. My family and I are eager to join the Ball State community, and look forward to the many meaningful connections to be made. I am forever grateful to Jeff Mitchell for this opportunity and look forward to the many successes that are ahead!"
At Penn State, Rhodes provided strategic direction and operational insight for the creation and management of business processes related to the upcoming redistribution of benefits to student-athletes. She served as the primary advisor to the athletics director for House v. NCAA outcomes, scholarship allocation and management, and operating strategy through collaboration with compliance and the business office. She helped identify opportunities for revenue generation and managed key medical agreements with external health parties to improve the student-athlete wellness experience. She helped create educational programming for student-athletes and their name, image and likeness (NIL), and handled sport supervision for track, cross country and women's gymnastics teams in addition to the women's volleyball program that went on to win the 2024 NCAA championship.
Rhodes served as deputy athletic director and SWA at Jacksonville where she oversaw student-athlete services, sports medicine and strength and conditioning departments. She also was the sport administrator for women's basketball, women's lacrosse and women's soccer programs. She helped create the JU Student-Athlete Center for Success that was established in 2015 and helped the Dolphins achieve record-breaking grade-point averages in consecutive semesters.
Prior to her time at Jacksonville, Rhodes served in a variety of academic support roles at Maryland, the University of Georgia and George Washington University.
Rhodes and her husband, Jared, are the parents of two daughters, Ryleigh and Taytem.
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Most recently at Penn State where she served as the deputy AD for student-athlete welfare and development, she also was the Nittany Lions' senior woman administrator (SWA) from 2021 to 2024. Rhodes brings a 13-year resume to Ball State, where she assumes responsibility for the athletic departments' day-to-day internal operations and business affairs.
"I am thrilled to welcome Dr. Rhodes and her family to Ball State," said Mitchell. "She is a vibrant leader in higher education and intercollegiate athletics, and her diverse skillset will add considerable value to the work we are performing at Ball State. As we embrace this period of change in our enterprise, Lauren's background in business administration and student achievement enables us to continue providing a quality Ball State experience for student-athletes while also exploring new avenues for competitive success."
A graduate of the University of Maryland with master's degrees from Georgetown University and Jacksonville University, and a doctorate from Jacksonville, Rhodes added, "I am excited to join the Ball State Athletics team. This is an incredible opportunity to serve alongside talented colleagues and support the growth and success of our student-athletes. My family and I are eager to join the Ball State community, and look forward to the many meaningful connections to be made. I am forever grateful to Jeff Mitchell for this opportunity and look forward to the many successes that are ahead!"
At Penn State, Rhodes provided strategic direction and operational insight for the creation and management of business processes related to the upcoming redistribution of benefits to student-athletes. She served as the primary advisor to the athletics director for House v. NCAA outcomes, scholarship allocation and management, and operating strategy through collaboration with compliance and the business office. She helped identify opportunities for revenue generation and managed key medical agreements with external health parties to improve the student-athlete wellness experience. She helped create educational programming for student-athletes and their name, image and likeness (NIL), and handled sport supervision for track, cross country and women's gymnastics teams in addition to the women's volleyball program that went on to win the 2024 NCAA championship.
Rhodes served as deputy athletic director and SWA at Jacksonville where she oversaw student-athlete services, sports medicine and strength and conditioning departments. She also was the sport administrator for women's basketball, women's lacrosse and women's soccer programs. She helped create the JU Student-Athlete Center for Success that was established in 2015 and helped the Dolphins achieve record-breaking grade-point averages in consecutive semesters.
Prior to her time at Jacksonville, Rhodes served in a variety of academic support roles at Maryland, the University of Georgia and George Washington University.
Rhodes and her husband, Jared, are the parents of two daughters, Ryleigh and Taytem.
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