Mississippi State announces Zac Selmon as historic new athletic director
Mississippi State has hired former Oklahoma deputy AD Zac Selmon as its new athletics director. He is the first African American AD in the school’s history.
“In seeking a new Director of Athletics, we talked with some of the nation’s very best athletics department administrators. After an extensive review of those outstanding candidates, I am convinced that in Zac Selmon we found an outstanding leader,” Mississippi State president Mark Keenum said in a press release.
Selmon was a four-year starter as a tight end for Wake Forest before moving on to Oklahoma as a graduate assistant for OU Athletics. He earned his master’s degree from OU in 2010 while on the staff before going on to hold positions such as Assistant Director of Development, Associate Director of Development and Director of Capital Gifts.
He would move on to North Carolina, where he spent the 2014-2015 academic year as Associate Athletics Director and Special Assistant to the Athletics Director.
Selmon left UNC a year later, heading back to Norman to take over the role of Senior Associate Athletics Director/Chief of Operations in July 2015. He was promoted to Senior Associate Athletics Director for Advancement/Administration in 2017 and held that position until he was named the Deputy Athletics Director in 2021. He has also served on the NCAA Football Rules Committee since 2019.
As deputy AD for the Sooners, Selmon provided oversight of various stakeholder clubs, strategic communications, media relations, marketing, multi-media rights, licensing, brand management, ticket sales and had sport oversight of the football team.
Selmon replaces former AD John Cohen, who left Mississippi State for Auburn in November after 14 years with the program.