South Carolina hires UC Riverside AD as new Chief Marketing Officer

South Carolina has hired University of California, Riverside Athletics Director Wesley Mallette as the athletic department’s new Chief Marketing Officer and Deputy Athletics Director, the school announced on Wednesday.

“On behalf of our entire athletics department we are thrilled to welcome Wes and his family to South Carolina,” AD Jeremiah Donati said in the release. “We identified a tremendous pool of traditional and non-traditional candidates for this position and he quickly rose to the top of the list. Wes brings a wealth of energy and experience, having touched every aspect of an athletics program. Particularly, his experience in external relations from marketing, branding, content creation, communications and the NIL space will be critical as we continue to embrace a new landscape across college athletics. He will be a great addition to our leadership team, our athletics department, to our university and to the city of Columbia, and we look forward to the positive impact he will have with Gamecock student-athletes,” added Donati.

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The school release continues below…

Mallette has been part of the UC Riverside staff since 2018 and has served as the Highlanders athletics director since 2021. Under his leadership, UCR Athletics survived its biggest crisis in the school’s 25-year history at the Division I level, as the entire 17-sport department was saved from being eliminated during the COVID-19 pandemic in his first year at the helm. Since that time, Mallette witnessed several of the Highlander teams perform at historically high levels on both the fields of competition and in the classroom.

Highlighting his time as AD, Mallette helped elevate the UCR Athletics brand by securing a new shoe and apparel deal with Nike/BSN SPORTS. During his tenure, UCR Athletics experienced its best fundraising year ever in 2024-25 and tallied four of its top five fundraising years in more than a decade. His leadership with the men’s basketball program earned him distinction as one of the nation’s top 100 most influential people in men’s college basketball by Silver Waves Media in both 2023 and 2024

Prior to being named AD, Mallette held the role of Chief of Staff and Senior Associate AD for External Affairs for UCR Athletics, where he was responsible for managing and changing the brand’s narrative. He served as the primary liaison between the Athletics Director and all fundraising activities and revenue operations and supervised all Strategic Communications, Digital and Emerging Media, Marketing and External Relations, Community and Fan Engagement, Ticket Sales and Operations and Sponsorships. He also led Athletics through a comprehensive visual identification brand redesign.

“I am truly honored to join the University of South Carolina and Gamecock Athletics,” said Mallette. “The chance to work alongside such an incredibly talented group of staff, coaches, student-athletes, and campus leaders is a dream come true. I would like to thank AD Jeremiah Donati for this opportunity and the department for being so welcoming to me and my family. I am excited to help grow the Gamecock Athletics brand and build on the rich tradition, competitive excellence, and great student-athlete experience that makes South Carolina so special.”

Before joining UC Riverside, Mallette served as Associate AD for Strategic Communications with Cal Athletics (UC Berkeley) where he oversaw all internal and external strategic communications and brand marketing efforts while guiding Cal Athletics through multiple crises and issues. Following three successful years with the Golden Bears, he went on to serve as VP of Communications for Pac-12 Networks.

For more than two decades, Mallette has created and conducted media/brand development trainings entitled “Building & Protecting Your Brand in the Digital Age,” for thousands of high school, college, Olympic, and professional athletes across the country. Based on a custom curriculum he created, developed, and adapted accordingly, this specialized, interactive workshop is designed to successfully provide traditional and social media and brand development training for athletes at all levels.

Prior to his career in collegiate and professional athletics, Mallette spent more than a decade in senior communications and marketing roles with MTV Networks, L Brands Inc.’s Victoria’s Secret and Bath & Body Works, Black Entertainment Television, Inc. (BET), and an advertising agency.

Mallette holds a B.A. in Communications from James Madison University, where he was a two-sport Division I student-athlete in football and track and field. He earned his M.A. in Journalism from the University of Maryland, College Park.

Mallette is married to the former Melody Stockwell. He has a son, Houston, who is a graduate basketball student-athlete at Alabama following a stellar career at Pepperdine, where he was a three-time All-WCC selection and two-time team captain, and a daughter, Soledad, who is a sophomore basketball student-athlete at Corona Centennial High School in Southern California.

What they are saying about Mallette:

“Wesley Mallette is a person who I have known for many years. He has a broad-based understanding of intercollegiate athletics in the past as well into the future. Wesley has a creative mind that will make an incredible impact on the University of South Carolina, their athletics department, their fans, and their student-athletes. Jeremiah made a great hire with Wesley.”
— Greg Byrne, Director of Athletics, University of Alabama

“Wes Mallette has been an extraordinary leader within The Big West and across college athletics. His vision, energy, and relentless commitment to student-athletes have left a lasting mark on UC Riverside and our conference. Wes brings passion, creativity, and integrity to everything he does — and while we will miss him greatly, South Carolina is gaining a true star. We wish him nothing but success as he takes on this new and exciting opportunity.”
— Dan Butterly, Commissioner, The Big West Conference

“South Carolina has scored big with their hire of Wes Mallette! He is a complete professional who will bring innovative and intentional thinking and action to the athletic department and the University. He’s tailor made for today’s environment with a business mindset, rooted in storytelling and communications, with the student athlete etched in his heart. Wes helps to make everyone around him better, with an uncommon humility and selflessness. He’ll be a major contributor to South Carolina’s continued success and accession in the SEC and nationally. I’m so excited for the Gamecocks and Wes, and can’t wait to watch from afar.”
— Sandy Barbour, Interim Athletics Director, Utah State (Former Director of Athletics for Penn State University, University of California, Berkeley, and Tulane University)

“Wes Mallette is one of the best executives I’ve ever been around in collegiate athletics. He’s insanely smart, innovative, passionate, and relentless in his pursuit of finding optimal outcomes and opportunities for his staff, coaches, fellow administrators, and — most importantly— the student-athletes themselves. Anyone who has spent time with Wes knows he’s a special person and leader. This is one of the most significant hires I’ve seen in a long time.”
— Adam Stanco, VP of Content for 247Sports/CBS Sports

“I’ve known Wes for over a decade and South Carolina has added a gem to its team. His leadership, vision and understanding of competition and community make him a perfect fit for the Gamecocks Athletics department. Most importantly, he’s a person you can trust to put student-athletes first in the new era of college athletics. He cares about people above everything. South Carolina is lucky to have him.”
— Mike Yam, NFL Network host

“Wes Mallette is an incredible leader, teammate, speaker, encourager, and best of all, he is a great dad. He was our Ted Lasso at UC Riverside, and I was incredibly fortunate to get the chance to have my first head coaching job with Wes as my AD. He sought me out, believed in me, and gave me a shot. He coached me and supported me every step of the way. What Wes did at UC Riverside was a lesson in sheer will to find excellence regardless of the circumstance and a belief that anything is possible. His skill set will help continue to energize and build South Carolina’s athletics program at an elite level.”
— Mike Magpayo, Head Men’s Basketball Coach, Fordham University

“Wes is the kind of leader who shows up for everyone – on the field, in the stands, and behind the scenes. His industry knowledge and experience run deep, but it is his steady presence and genuine care for others that leave the biggest impact. People don’t just respect him, they trust him.”
— Paula Smith, Director of Athletics, University of California, Irvine

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