The University of North Florida has extended the contract of Director of Athletics Nick Morrow through June 30, 2031.
Morrow, a Nease High School graduate who has an undergraduate degree from the University of Florida and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Maryland, was named the seventh UNF AD on May 28, 2021.
Morrow also was promoted to Vice President of Intercollegiate Athletics.
“I’m incredibly blessed and honored to continue serving as Director of Athletics at the University of North Florida,” Morrow said in a statement. “This extension is a reflection of the hard work and dedication of our coaches, staff, student-athletes and the entire Osprey community.”
Financial terms were not disclosed. The Times-Union has made a public records request for a copy of Morrow’s new contract.
Morrow leads record fundraising numbers
Under Morrow, UNF has posted record numbers for fundraising and donor count every year, and has raised more than $20 million in the last four years.
The athletic department has also set records for ticket sales, sponsorships, external events, grants, concessions and licensing revenue.
“I’m also deeply grateful for the trust and support from university leadership and our fans,” Morrow said in another statement. “Together, we’re building something truly special here at the University of North Florida.”
UNF President Moez Limayem called Morrow “one of the best leaders in all of collegiate athletics,” he said in a statement. “His teamwork, leadership, dedication and drive are only some of the key reasons that North Florida Athletics has continued to shatter records and elevate its standard of success in all aspects.”
UNF raised a record $8.07 million from 2,893 donors in 2024-25, setting a new department fundraising record.
UNF has improved facilities, resources for student-athletes
The funds have enabled the university to add resources and improvements for training, strength and conditioning, mental health, mental performance, academics and nutrition. Morrow has led renovations to every athletic facility on campus, including elevated LED lighting at every facility, upgrades to multiple sound systems and video boards and the renovation of the Texana Bank Suite and CSI Companies Court at UNF Arena.
Other projects include a renovated weight room, athletic training room and field replacement at Hodges Stadium, expanded broadcast capabilities to every facility, and the expansion of premium seating and fan experience options across all sports.
Ground will be broken this month for improvements at Harmon Stadium (baseball) and locker rooms for men’s and women’s basketball and volleyball at UNF Arena will be completed later this month.
North Florida has 19 programs with 15 ASUN Championship team titles and 19 individual titles between regular season and postseason. The Ospreys have totaled 22 combined NCAA postseason appearances across 11 programs under Morrow. UNF earned its highest Division I era finish and paced all ASUN institutions in the 2024-25 Learfield Directors’ Cup competition, and was 114th out of 303 Division I institutions and sixth out of 13 in Florida.
Men’s soccer, beach volleyball and softball all captured ASUN Championship titles and received automatic qualification to the NCAA Tournament. Smilla Kolbe earned First Team All-American honors at the NCAA Indoor and Outdoor Track and Field Championships.
North Florida Athletics has achieved the highest Academic Progress Rate (APR) in the ASUN Conference each of the last four years UNF student-athletes have posted a 3.0 GPA or better for 28 consecutive semesters. The current average is 3.51 for the 2024-25 school year, with all programs achieving at least a 3.11 GPA.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: University of North Florida extends contract of Director of Athletics Nick Morrow
Reporting by Garry Smits, Jacksonville Florida Times-Union / Florida Times-Union
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
