New Hampshire has named Ryan Colton as its next athletic director. Colton currently serves as deputy athletics director and chief of staff at Richmond.
“Ryan has the vision, experience, and judgment to lead UNH athletics at a pivotal moment in college sports,” said UNH president Elizabeth S. Chilton, via statement. “He understands the rapidly changing Division I landscape and what it will take to position our programs for sustained competitive success.”
Before joining Richmond, Colton began his collegiate athletics administrative career at Holy Cross, where he served as assistant athletics director. Previously, he was special assistant to the director of athletics at Providence.
“The University of New Hampshire represents everything I value about higher education and intercollegiate athletics: a commitment to student success, access to opportunity and the pursuit of excellence,” Colton said in a statement.
The UNH men’s hockey team is coming off a 14-20-1 season, where it went 8-15-1 in Hockey East. The UNH women’s team was 16-16-3, 10-12-2 in Hockey East.
Colton has also held several public service and legal positions, including serving as a city councilor and council president in Taunton, Mass., practicing law in private practice and serving as a staff member in the Massachusetts State Senate.
Colton previously chaired the NCAA Division I Women’s Golf Committee. He succeeds Allison Rich, who led UNH Athletics from 2022-26. Additional details regarding Colton’s start date and introductory event will be announced at a later date, the school said.