A year after being named to the position, Allen Greene is settling in as the University of Pittsburgh’s director of athletics. Greene, a seasoned professional when it comes to college sports, took on the role in November 2024. College sports has been a big part of Greene’s life since he played baseball for the University of Notre Dame. After being drafted by the New York Yankees and a short stint chasing down a dream as a professional baseball player, which included three years in the Yankees’ minor league system, Greene gravitated back to college sports. He was the director of athletics for the University at Buffalo from 2015 to 2018, and then from 2018 to 2022, Greene was the director of athletics for Auburn University, where eight of his teams won Southeastern Conference (SEC) championships. After Auburn, he spent time at the University of Mississippi and the University of Tennessee as a senior deputy athletics director before taking the job at Pitt. Greene has been at the forefront of the name, image and likeness (NIL) wave that has hit the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and also has had a history of improving athletic department revenue.
What made you decide to come to Pitt?
We had moved three times in three years, and I was not looking to move again. When the job came open, my wife asked me if I had thought about Pitt. And I said no. I didn’t want to move; we didn’t need to move. We were happy in Knoxville with a great job and a great team. But my wife said maybe you should take a closer look at Pitt. After talking with (Pitt Chancellor Joan Gabel, I realized) what she was looking for in a leader and what I was looking for in a leader in her was a lot of the same things. It was such a great fit.
What’s your favorite part of this job?
The people. Both in terms of the City of Pittsburgh and my job. Pittsburgh has, from my observation, some Northeast mentality with Midwest values. There’s some edge; there’s some grit here. The people here are so genuine. As long as you accept the city and accept them, they accept you tenfold. I feel so welcomed.
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