With Damon Evans leaving Maryland to become SMU’s athletic director, the Terps need a new person to lead their athletic department. Here’s a look at a few people who could earn the job:
Colleen Sorem, Maryland interim AD
Sorem was named interim AD immediately after the departure of Evans, who called his former deputy “one of the most skilled athletic administrators in the nation.” Sorem, who previously served as Maryland’s senior deputy athletic director/chief operating officer while supervising the football and women’s basketball programs, joined the Terps in 2014 and is credited with developing and implementing “a new financial model which allows the athletic department to operate with long-term financial stability.” The James Madison University graduate and Manassas, Virginia, native has previous stops at Towson, Florida Gulf Coast University and the University of Massachusetts-Lowell.
Kirby Mills, Maryland senior associate AD, chief development officer
Mills has been in this role since 2022 and is a third-generation Maryland alumnus. He previously served as associate athletic director for development at Arizona State and began his career as an assistant director of football operations and outreach at Maryland in the early 2010s.
J Batt, Georgia Tech AD
Batt spent four years in Maryland’s athletic department (2009 to 2013), and Maryland would offer a significant salary raise with Batt moving from the Atlantic Coast Conference to the Big Ten. Batt possesses impressive fundraising experience — a key disconnect between men’s basketball coach Kevin Willard and Evans — at Georgia Tech and his previous stops. Batt worked as the executive director of the Terrapin Club from 2011 to 2013, and he was also previously the chief revenue officer at Alabama from 2017 to 2022.
John Currie, Wake Forest AD
Wake Forest is Currie’s third athletic director job, having also spent time at Kansas State and Tennessee. He was a candidate for Maryland’s athletic director opening when Evans was hired in 2018. With extensive Power Four conference experience, Currie could be looking to depart a low-level ACC program to a Big Ten school.
Ed Scott, Memphis AD
Scott has local ties after spending a half-decade as Morgan State’s athletic director before taking the deputy director of athletics role at Virginia. He left Virginia in June 2024 to accept his current role as Memphis’ athletic director, meaning the Terps would have to bring him back to the state after less than one year with the Tigers. With the local connection, Power Four experience and several stops as an athletic director, Scott could make sense for Maryland.
Sarah Baumgartner, Texas executive senior associate AD for sports administration
At Texas since 2021, Baumgartner was considered a possible candidate for the Terps’ athletic director opening when Evans was hired. Before Texas, she worked at Rutgers as the deputy athletic director for five years, intertwining Big Ten and Southeastern Conference experience that could be valuable as Maryland hopes to find its footing in the new-look Big Ten.
Gary Williams, Maryland senior managing director for alumni relations, former men’s basketball coach
Legendary coaches becoming athletic directors at the schools they won championships has happened before, but Williams taking over for Evans is likely a long shot. Williams has worked in the athletic department since 2014 in various outreach and fundraising roles. The only question would be if the former coach wants to expand his role or is comfortable where he is.
Baltimore Sun staff contributed to this article. Have a news tip? Contact Taylor Lyons at tlyons@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/TaylorJLyons.
