Staff Directory

Brian Gerrity

Title:
Director of Athletics
Alma Mater:
Bates College, 2005
Office Phone:
(478) 301-4003
Email:

Having already played a pivotal role in the success of the athletics department over the previous 14 years, 18-year collegiate athletics administration veteran Brian Gerrity was named as Mercer’s 21^st Director of Athletics on July 29, 2026. He initially joined the Mercer family as Executive Director of the Mercer Athletic Foundation prior to the 2012-15 academic year, and later undertook roles as both Senior Associate Athletics Director (2015) and Deputy Athletics Director (2021) for the Bears.

Since arriving in Macon in 2012, Gerrity has been instrumental in building one of the Southern Conference's most successful athletics fundraising operations. Through a combination of visionary leadership, relationship-driven philanthropy and strategic planning, he helped generate millions of dollars in philanthropic support while also creating long-term financial sustainability for the department.

Across his 14-year tenure as Executive Director of the MAF, the department experienced remarkable growth in donor participation and gift support. He helped secure transformative naming commitments and lead gifts for several landmark athletics facilities, including Five Star Stadium (football, lacrosse), OrthoGeorgia Park (baseball), Betts Stadium (soccer), the Cantrell Family Baseball Performance Center, the Overstreet Tennis Center and the Kevin & Carolyn Scheck Golf Performance Center. However, his fundraising accomplishments extended well beyond facility projects.

The athletics department experienced a 741 percent increase in unrestricted annual giving and a 415 percent increase in donors contributing at the $2,500 level from 2012-26, and the MAF now boasts more than 2,000 members annually. Special project giving has also surpassed $1.5 million since 2020 and, in the 2023-24 fiscal year alone, Gerrity helped secure approximately $9.8 million in major gift commitments.

Gerrity's impact was also evident in the innovative fundraising programs he developed and implemented. To support the return of football to the Mercer campus in 2013, he played a leading role in the creation of the BEAR PLUS donor-based seating and parking initiative, establishing a modern donor benefits structure that strengthened supporter engagement and revenue generation. He also launched the 400 Fund scholarship initiative, developed the Mercer Lettermen's Club for former student-athletes, and created the annual Donor Drive Challenge which has become a significant fundraising and engagement vehicle for athletics supporters.

He also established a dozen sport-specific operational endowments, created the Champions Fund to support teams participating in championship competition, and launched the Mercer Women's Athletic Endowment. His efforts added more than $1 million to endowed funds and scholarship support, providing permanent financial resources that will benefit future generations of Mercer student-athletes.

Gerrity launched his career in collegiate athletics administration at Hartford where he served in multiple leadership positions. As Assistant Athletic Director for External Relations, he oversaw the institution's marketing and ticket operations while serving on the Athletic Director's Council. His innovative approach to corporate partnerships resulted in a 31 percent increase in sponsorship revenue and a more than 40 percent expansion of the university's corporate partner portfolio between 2010 and 2012. His efforts helped earn national recognition, including a National Association of Collegiate Marketing Administrators (NACMA) Gold Award for Sponsorship Programs and a Silver Award for Electronic Promotion.

Earlier in his career, Gerrity gained valuable experience through positions at Yale, the Mid-American Conference, Springfield College, AmeriCorps, and the Institute for International Sport where he served as Director of Sport and Coaches and Coordinator of the New England Basketball Hall of Fame.

From 2017 through 2020, Gerrity contributed to Brand Food, a respected collegiate branding and marketing think tank. He is the author of Building the Bear: A Mid-Major Fundraising Story, which became the number one new release on Amazon in both the Sports Industry and Higher Education Administration categories. He has also written numerous articles for Athletic Management Magazine, sharing insights and best practices with athletics administrators nationwide.

He was also recently named to Silver Waves Media's list of top 100 rising Athletic Directors.

An all-American basketball standout at Maranacook High School, Gerrity played in 101 games across an illustrious career at Bates College in nearby Lewiston, Maine, from 2001-05. An all-conference performer, he was a 40.7 percent career field goal shooter and averaged 12.0 points, 2.8 steals, 2.1 rebounds and 1.0 assists in pacing the Bobcats to nearly 70 wins. He also canned better than 40 percent of his career 3-point attempts and was a 76.2 percent shooter from the free throw line on the way to 1,209 points which ranks ninth on the school’s all-time scoring list.

A native of Augusta in southeastern Maine, Gerrity earned his bachelor’s degree in political science from Bates College in 2005, and completed his graduate work in athletic administration at Springfield College in 2009. Brian and his daughter, Freida, currently reside in Macon.

THE GERRITY FILE
Collegiate Athletics Administration Experience
2006-07	Yale (Intern/Varsity Sports Administration)
2008	Mid-American Conference (Graduate Field Work)
2009-10	Hartford (Assistant Director/Operations & Facilities)
2010-11	Hartford (Assistant Marketing Director/Corporate Relations)
2011-12	Hartford (Assistant Athletics Director/External Relations)
2012-15	Mercer (Executive DIrector/Mercer Athletic Foundation)
2015-21	Mercer (Senior Associate Athletics Director/Mercer Athletic Foundation)
2021-26	Mercer (Deputy Athletics Director/Mercer Athletic Foundation)
2026-Present	Mercer (Director of Athletics)

Scholar-Athlete Experience
Played four seasons (2001-05) at Bates College. An all-conference performer, he was a 40.7 percent career field goal shooter and averaged 12.0 points, 2.8 steals, 2.1 rebounds and 1.0 assists. Finished career with 1,209 points (9th all-time).

Education
Bachelor's degree in political science (Bates College, 2005); Master's degree in athletic administration (Springfield College, 2009)

Family
Daughter, Freida