Wren Baker, North Texas
Position: Athletic director
+ Has been North Texas’ AD since 2016
+ Overseeing UNT’s move from Conference USA to the AAC; UNT becomes an AAC member in July 2023
+ During his tenure, UNT athletics has registered the four best fundraising years in its history
+ Under Baker’s leadership, North Texas teams have won a combined 17 conference or division championships
+ Went to UNT from Missouri, where he spent two years (2015-16) as deputy athletic director. At Mizzou, he led the athletic department’s external relations team, including marketing
+ Was Missouri’s interim athletic director before being hired at North Texas
+ Was Memphis’ deputy athletic director (2013-15) and the sport administrator for the Tigers’ men’s basketball team
+ From 2011-13, Baker was athletic director at Division II Northwest Missouri State. He hired football coach Adam Dorrel, who led the Bearcats to three national championships
+ Was the first AD at Rogers State (2006-11), a Division II school in Claremore, Okla., that began athletics in 2006. He also was the school’s first men’s basketball coach and guided the team to a 20-11 record in his one season as the head coach
+ In 2005, he became principal and athletic director for Valliant (Okla.) Public Schools and, at age 26, was the youngest principal in Oklahoma history
+ An alum of Southeastern Oklahoma State (class of 2001). Earned a master’s degree from Oklahoma State, where he was a graduate assistant and then basketball operations assistant for the men’s basketball program under Eddie Sutton.
Marcus Bowman, Oklahoma
Position: Deputy athletic director/chief financial officer and business strategy
+ Been in current role since August 2020
+ Oversees all fiscal and business operations. Serves as sport administrator for the Sooners men’s basketball team
+ Was at UNLV from 2017-20, serving as senior associate AD and chief financial officer.
+ Spent 2006-17 at Pitt in a variety of roles, eventually being promoted to senior associate AD for sport administration. Started at Pitt as director of business operations
+ An alum of Pitt (class of 2006), where he played basketball
Tommy Gray, Stanford
Position: Deputy athletic director, external relations
+ Hired at Stanford in 2014 as a business strategy manager. Promoted into current role in 2018
+ Oversees all external relations functions, including corporate partnerships, fan experience, marketing and ticket operations
+ Is secondary sport administrator for football and main sport administrator for softball and the men’s and women’s swimming and diving programs
+ Before Stanford, he led the market research and strategy department for the New England Patriots and the Kraft Sports Group from 2011-13
+ A Harvard alum (class of 2010); was co-captain of swimming and diving team as a senior