College Sports Information Directors of America

James “Jim” Herlihy will bring nearly 20 years of experience in athletic administration to his new position as director of intercollegiate athletics at the University of Montevallo. Herlihy will begin his job at Montevallo Feb. 18.

Currently assistant athletic director at Florida Gulf Coast University in Fort Myers, Herlihy said he has “great admiration for the success of the UM department within the Gulf South Conference and in NCAA tournaments.” He said he plans to work with the Falcon coaching staffs to provide the “necessary resources to develop quality student-athletes in the classroom, in the community and on the respective fields of play.”

In announcing Herlihy’s appointment, UM President Dr. Philip C. Williams said, “We’re very excited to welcome Jim Herlihy and his family to the Montevallo community. His knowledge of NCAA and Gulf South Conference requirements and his excellent communications skills should serve us well into the future.”

Williams said Herlihy’s “proven track record of managing fiscal resources, managing and developing facilities and mentoring personnel and student-athletes was clearly demonstrated during the interview process. His obvious respect for the tradition and spirit of Montevallo athletics was a key factor in our decision.”

During his years at FGCU, Herlihy has supervised marketing, promotions, media relations and broadcasting. He also has assisted with athletic development as FGCU transitioned into full-time NCAA Division II status, and now as it is reclassifying to Division I as a member of the Atlantic Sun Conference. In addition, he is the program administrator for men’s soccer, men’s golf, and men’s and women’s cross-country. Herlihy oversees personnel management, budget management, external relations and facilities and operations at FGCU. He also is the radio voice for FGCU basketball and baseball. A member of the FGCU athletics staff since 2004, he was promoted to his current position in 2006.

Herlihy has more than 20 years of management and marketing experience in college and professional sports. He joined FGCU after a two-plus-year stint as the first-ever executive director of the 4,500-seat Turner Civic Center in Southwest Florida where he was responsible for all fiscal operations, human resources, facility operations and business development. The Turner Center hosted more than 200 events in its first two years of operation, gaining a reputation as one of the region’s top concert venues.

Before relocating to Southwest Florida, Montevallo’s new A.D. spent more than a decade working in professional baseball. Herlihy spent six years with the Philadelphia Phillies baseball team, serving in management roles in both corporate sponsorship sales and marketing, as well as in public relations. His four seasons with the Texas Rangers included service as the club’s director of Florida operations in Charlotte County, where he was responsible for an 82-acre complex with 65 employees. The facility housed major league and minor league spring training, two minor league affiliates and minor league business operations. His credentials also include service with the Nashville Sounds minor league franchise. He handled ticket sales and operations, marketing and promotions, public relations and corporate partnerships.

Prior to his baseball career, Herlihy was the sports information director at Bates College in Lewiston, Maine, where he was the primary media contact for a 26-sport NCAA Division III program and coordinated ECAC championships in four sports. He began his career as the assistant sports information director for a 17-sport NCAA Division III program at Plymouth State University in New Hampshire.

A native of New Hampshire, Herlihy earned his bachelor of science degree in physical education in 1988 from Plymouth State. He also attended the University of Maine. He is currently pursuing a master’s degree in public administration at FGCU.

He lives with his wife and two children in Punta Gorda.