Josh McCowan has been named as Florida Atlantic University’s new vice president and director of athletics.
McCowan, who has been a Deputy Athletic Director at Mississippi State University since 2023, replaces Brian White, who resigned last month to become the athletic director at Virginia Tech.
Under White’s tenure, the Owls reached 23 postseason tournaments or bowl games, won 10 conference championships and made several significant coaching hires, including hiring Dusty May to lead the men’s basketball program.
But the role of athletic director has evolved and financials are now just as important as hiring and firing coaches. Thus, the hiring of McCowan, a proven fundraiser and generator of revenue on the collegiate level.
McCowan, whose previous collegiate athletics experience included stops at Mississippi State, Kansas State and Colorado spread over 15 years, will be introduced on August 7 during a press conference at the Schmidt Family Athletics plex for Academic and Athletic Excellence.
“Florida Atlantic has a proven track record of attracting young, rising leaders, and Josh’s experience, energy, and commitment to excellence make him a perfect fit for our dynamic university,” FAU President Adam Hasner said. “I want to thank Michael Graffin for his steady leadership as interim director of athletics throughout this transition, and Board of Trustees Chair Piero Bussani and athletics benefactor Michael Hagerty for the tremendous time and dedication they gave to our national search. The future is bright for athletics at Florida Atlantic.”
Named in 2026 as one of the Top 100 Future Athletics Directors by Silver Waves Media, McCowan joined Mississippi State Athletics in June 2023. He made an immediate impact by leading the Southeastern Conference school to its three highest fundraising years in school history, raising more than $173 million, including a 121% increase from 2024 to 2025.
“I am incredibly grateful to President Adam Hasner, Board of Trustee Chairman Piero Bussani and the search committee for the opportunity to serve as the next vice president and director of athletics at Florida Atlantic University,” McCowan said. “As the collegiate athletics landscape continues to evolve, I’m excited about FAU’s trajectory and what can be accomplished together. It is crystal clear that Florida Atlantic has demonstrated both a firm commitment to competitive excellence and exceptional institutional alignment that positions us for success in modern college athletics. My family and I could not be more excited to get to Boca Raton, and we look forward to joining the incredible staff, coaches, student-athletes and supporters in the Owl family!”
Josh McCowan headed Bulldogs revenue generating strategies
McCowan served as deputy athletics director/chief revenue officer and CEO of The Bulldog Club, Inc., and has guided the department’s revenue generating strategies as well as Bulldog Club Inc., operations while serving as a member of the Athletics Executive Leadership team. He oversaw The Bulldog Club Inc., ticket office operations and sales, data and analytics, special event partnerships, concessions and Bulldog Sports Properties. McCowan advised on budgeting, revenue-sharing implementation, and NIL strategy, and also was sport administrator for men’s basketball and as athletics liaison to the MSU Foundation and Alumni Association.
In the all-important world of Name, Image and License, McCowan led the modernization of NIL revenue strategy at Mississippi State, resulting in substantial year-over-year funding growth. He established the first philanthropic major giving society in MSU Athletics history and oversaw a 31% increase in combined ticket and contribution revenue – growing the total by more than $11.5 million over three years.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Florida Atlantic names new athletic director known for fund raising
Reporting by Nick Pugliese, Palm Beach Post / Palm Beach Post
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Nick Pugliese, Palm Beach Post | USA TODAY Network
