Bryan B. Blair has served in his post as Vice President and Director of Athletics at UT since May of 2022.
Vice President and Athletic Director Bryan B. Blair Named to Toledo “20 Under 40” List
10/26/2023 10:28:00 AM | Athletics
Since assuming his post in May of 2022, Blair has engaged the University and the Toledo community with the goal of positioning the Rockets as one of the premier Group of Five athletic programs in the country
TOLEDO, Ohio – University of Toledo Vice President and Director of Athletics Bryan B. Blair was recently honored as one of the "20 Under 40" community leaders in Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan.
Since his arrival at The University of Toledo, Bryan Blair has engaged the University and the Toledo community with the goal of positioning the Rockets as one of the premier Group of Five athletic programs in the country.
"I am both thrilled and humbled to be included in the '20 Under 40' list of Toledo community leaders," said Blair, who assumed his post at UT in May of 2022 at the age of 37, at the time the youngest athletic director among major college athletic departments. "Individual awards are the result of exceptional teamwork. This award is a reflection of our amazing coaches, staff, student-athletes, University and community -- or in short, #TeamToledo! In Toledo Athletics, we constantly promote the idea of #TeamToledo because we feel that we are stronger together. As a relative newcomer to the Toledo area, I continue to be amazed at the energy and potential of our community!"
Among Blair's top initiatives are "Rise Together," a five-year strategic vision for the future of the program that outlines a roadmap for student-athlete well-being and success, community engagement and facility enhancements that aims to elevate the Rockets into national prominence; the 1923 Society, a philanthropic initiative designed to generate new revenues to support Rocket student-athletes; and a partnership with RealResponse, a communication platform that provides Rocket student-athletes the opportunity to communicate with the administration in real-time, and respond to surveys regarding the student-athlete experience.
This past year Toledo won a school-record six MAC Championships in football, women's cross country, women's basketball, men's basketball, men's tennis and women's tennis, becoming the first school in the history of major college sports to win league titles in these six sports. UT was awarded the Reese Trophy as the top men's athletic program in the Mid-American Conference and the Rockets set a school record with 166 points in the Learfield Directors' Cup Division I standings.
The Rockets also had the best academic year in school history, setting a record with a 3.401 grade point average in the 2022 fall semester, then topping that with a 3.472 spring GPA.
Blair has asserted a major role in the Toledo community since he joined the Rockets in 2022. He initiated a #TeamToledo campaign with the goal of increasing collaboration between the Athletic Department and the greater Toledo community. He has reached out and met with hundreds of organizations and individuals from all walks of life in his first year at Toledo in an effort to learn as much as he can about what makes Toledo such a special place to work, play and live. He has been a guest speaker at the Toledo Region Chamber of Commerce, the Maumee Chamber of Commerce, and the American Legion. Last April 19, he promoted community projects with more than 70 Athletics staff members volunteering as part of 419 Day.
In May, he brought together leaders from the business, education, athletics and community realms in a day-long summit on the UToledo campus to help shape the strategic plan for the Athletic Department.
On campus, Blair created "Dining With the Deans," an ongoing series of dinners that give Rocket student-athletes an opportunity to meet and share ideas with University leaders in an informal setting.
Blair was named Vice President and Director of Athletics at The University of Toledo on May 1, 2022, becoming the first African-American to hold the post. He joined the Rockets after serving as the deputy athletic director/chief operating officer at Washington State University. He also held administrative positions at Rice University, the University of South Carolina and the NCAA.
Blair holds a law degree from South Carolina and earned his undergraduate degree in history at Wofford College. He played four seasons for the Wofford football team from 2003-06. He was a team captain as a senior in 2006 and was named the team's Defensive Lineman of the Year. Blair and his wife, Jenna, have two children, Brielle (5) and Beau (2). His hobbies including powerlifting, spending time outdoors, fishing with his kids, driving his Corvette, and creating barbeque masterpieces on his custom-made smoker.
Since his arrival at The University of Toledo, Bryan Blair has engaged the University and the Toledo community with the goal of positioning the Rockets as one of the premier Group of Five athletic programs in the country.
"I am both thrilled and humbled to be included in the '20 Under 40' list of Toledo community leaders," said Blair, who assumed his post at UT in May of 2022 at the age of 37, at the time the youngest athletic director among major college athletic departments. "Individual awards are the result of exceptional teamwork. This award is a reflection of our amazing coaches, staff, student-athletes, University and community -- or in short, #TeamToledo! In Toledo Athletics, we constantly promote the idea of #TeamToledo because we feel that we are stronger together. As a relative newcomer to the Toledo area, I continue to be amazed at the energy and potential of our community!"
Among Blair's top initiatives are "Rise Together," a five-year strategic vision for the future of the program that outlines a roadmap for student-athlete well-being and success, community engagement and facility enhancements that aims to elevate the Rockets into national prominence; the 1923 Society, a philanthropic initiative designed to generate new revenues to support Rocket student-athletes; and a partnership with RealResponse, a communication platform that provides Rocket student-athletes the opportunity to communicate with the administration in real-time, and respond to surveys regarding the student-athlete experience.
This past year Toledo won a school-record six MAC Championships in football, women's cross country, women's basketball, men's basketball, men's tennis and women's tennis, becoming the first school in the history of major college sports to win league titles in these six sports. UT was awarded the Reese Trophy as the top men's athletic program in the Mid-American Conference and the Rockets set a school record with 166 points in the Learfield Directors' Cup Division I standings.
The Rockets also had the best academic year in school history, setting a record with a 3.401 grade point average in the 2022 fall semester, then topping that with a 3.472 spring GPA.
Blair has asserted a major role in the Toledo community since he joined the Rockets in 2022. He initiated a #TeamToledo campaign with the goal of increasing collaboration between the Athletic Department and the greater Toledo community. He has reached out and met with hundreds of organizations and individuals from all walks of life in his first year at Toledo in an effort to learn as much as he can about what makes Toledo such a special place to work, play and live. He has been a guest speaker at the Toledo Region Chamber of Commerce, the Maumee Chamber of Commerce, and the American Legion. Last April 19, he promoted community projects with more than 70 Athletics staff members volunteering as part of 419 Day.
In May, he brought together leaders from the business, education, athletics and community realms in a day-long summit on the UToledo campus to help shape the strategic plan for the Athletic Department.
On campus, Blair created "Dining With the Deans," an ongoing series of dinners that give Rocket student-athletes an opportunity to meet and share ideas with University leaders in an informal setting.
Blair was named Vice President and Director of Athletics at The University of Toledo on May 1, 2022, becoming the first African-American to hold the post. He joined the Rockets after serving as the deputy athletic director/chief operating officer at Washington State University. He also held administrative positions at Rice University, the University of South Carolina and the NCAA.
Blair holds a law degree from South Carolina and earned his undergraduate degree in history at Wofford College. He played four seasons for the Wofford football team from 2003-06. He was a team captain as a senior in 2006 and was named the team's Defensive Lineman of the Year. Blair and his wife, Jenna, have two children, Brielle (5) and Beau (2). His hobbies including powerlifting, spending time outdoors, fishing with his kids, driving his Corvette, and creating barbeque masterpieces on his custom-made smoker.
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