Mike O'Brien will join Chapman University as the Interim Director of Athletics for the 2025-26 school year.
O'Brien spent 20 years leading the athletics department at the University of Toledo before retiring in 2022. In his 20 years leading the NCAA Division I program at Toledo, O'Brien completed a $30 million Athletic Capital Campaign, set school records for football season tickets sold, hosted multiple NCAA championship events, completed many facility construction and renovation projects and was named the Football Bowl Subdivision Northeast Region Athletic Director of the Year in 2012. He also served on the NCAA's Division I Council, Division I Men's Basketball Committee, and Division I Women's Basketball Oversight Committee, among other national assignments.
Under O'Brien's watch, the Rockets won or shared 36 league titles in nine different sports. In addition, the Rockets made 11 bowl appearances in football, four NIT appearances in men's basketball, an NCAA Tournament appearance in women's basketball in 2017, as well as eight WNIT appearances, including a WNIT championship crown in 2011. Toledo won the Jacoby Trophy as the MAC's top women's athletic program in 2011-12 and 2017-18. The Rockets also won the Mid-American Conference Institutional Academic Achievement Award in five of his last eight years.
Prior to Toledo, he held leadership positions in athletics at Kansas State University, Lamar University, the University of Pittsburgh, and Ball State University.
He earned a Master of Science in Physical Education/Sports Management from Western Illinois University, Master of Education in Professional Development from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, and Bachelor of Education from Missouri Valley College. He also completed the Executive Development Program at the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business.
