Auburn University at Montgomery Athletics

Erik Maas enters his fifth year as the Director of Athletics at Auburn University at Montgomery (AUM), bringing over 20 years of experience in collegiate athletic leadership, management, and coaching to the Warhawk program. Announced as AUM's Director of Athletics by Chancellor Dr. Carl A. Stockton on August 8, 2022, Maas has played a key role in elevating AUM athletics across the Gulf South Conference (GSC) and NCAA Division II.

Athletic Achievement & Program Expansion
Maas has overseen a period of record-breaking athletic performances, conference titles, and deep postseason runs during his tenure:

• Championship Breakthroughs: Guided athletic programs to four GSC titles, including historic first-ever conference championships for men's soccer and women's tennis.
• National Prominence: Propelled programs to new heights, highlighted by softball earning their program's first-ever No. 1 national rankings, softball reaching the NCAA College World Series, baseball, men’s and women’s tennis, men’s and women’s cross country and men's soccer advancing to NCAA regional competition, and cross country, volleyball, basketball, and baseball consistently earning regional and national rankings.
• Program Milestones:
  • Win Records: Baseball, softball, men's and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s tennis, men's soccer, each recorded their most wins in the NCAA era, while volleyball set a program record for wins.
  • Conference Success: Men's and women's cross country, volleyball, men's and women's tennis, women's basketball, men's basketball, baseball, softball and men's soccer each achieved their highest GSC finishes.
  • NCAA Postseason & National Finishes: Baseball, men's tennis, and women's tennis advanced to their first NCAA regional appearances, while men’s soccer made their second appearance. Additionally, men's and women's cross country recorded their highest NCAA finishes.
• Sport Expansion: Spearheaded the successful launch of women's golf as AUM's 12th varsity collegiate sport.
• Community Stewardship: Established AUM as a national leader in community engagement, earning recognition as 2024 and 2026 NCAA DII Award of Excellence Finalists through robust partnerships with TOPSoccer and Dream Court.

 
Academic & Cultural Leadership
Under Maas's guidance, AUM athletics has achieved four consecutive years of departmental GPA growth, rising from a 3.34 baseline prior to his arrival to 3.54. His commitment to holistic student-athlete development is evidenced by consistent academic performance, with 87% of student-athletes maintaining a 3.0 GPA or higher in recent years, alongside the establishment of an institutional chapter of the Chi Alpha Sigma national college-athlete honor society.
 
Beyond his leadership at AUM, Maas also serves as the chair of the NCAA Division II Baseball National Committee, contributing to the national governance and administration of Division II baseball.

Operational & Financial Stewardship
A proven driver of institutional growth, Maas has overseen a 225% increase in total fundraising and revenue generation, including a 251% increase in annual ALL-IN Campaign donations since taking the helm. His focus on facility enhancements and capital improvements has directly resulted in the opening of the inaugural Student-Athlete Performance Center and significant donor support for projects such as the Johnson Brothers Hitting Facility.
 
Furthermore, Maas has heavily prioritized student well-being by launching mental health initiatives such as The Hidden Opponent and forging strategic partnerships with Hilinski’s Hope Foundation and Be The Match.

Professional Background
Prior to arriving at AUM, Maas served as the Associate Athletic Director for Operations at the University of Montevallo, managing business affairs, capital projects, and daily operations for the GSC's largest athletic department. His extensive background also includes six years on the Montevallo baseball coaching staff, the final four as Associate Head Coach, as well as previous administrative and coaching roles at Tennessee Wesleyan University, University of North Alabama, and the Alexandria Beetles in the Northwoods League.
 
Maas holds a bachelor's degree in communications from Flagler College (2003) and a Master of Business Administration from the University of North Alabama (2006).

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Maas joined the Warhawks from the University of Montevallo, a fellow Gulf South Conference institution, where he most recently served as Associate Athletic Director for Operations since 2020. Following six years on the Falcons' baseball coaching staff, Maas transitioned to an administrative role in 2016 as Assistant Athletic Director for Operations, a position he held until his promotion to Associate AD for Operations.
 
"We're very proud of the accomplishments that our athletic program has achieved as new members of NCAA Division II," said AUM Chancellor Stockton. "In selecting Erik as our new athletic director, we have found a proven leader who understands the competitive landscape of the Gulf South Conference. He also brings the blend of experience and ideas necessary for us to build off of our early momentum and establish ourselves as championship contenders across all programs. I want to thank Ms. Childers for serving in an acting role during our national search to find the right person to advance our athletic programs. We have that person in Erik and I look forward to welcoming him to campus and seeing him move our programs to new heights."
 
As Associate Athletic Director for Operations at Montevallo, Maas oversaw the department's business affairs, including its $7.1 million budget, while also supervising team budgets, travel, facilities, athletic communications, equipment, apparel, event and gameday operations, camp operations, and day-to-day operations.
 
Additionally, he served on the Montevallo Athletics Senior Leadership Team, which served more than 450 student-athletes and 40 staff members, the largest in the GSC, and had administrative oversight for men's soccer, softball, athletic grounds, and athletics communications. Montevallo recently finished fourth in the 2021-22 Gulf South Conference All-Sports Trophy, the highest finish in UM's NCAA DII history (1994). This was the second consecutive fourth place All Sports Trophy finish. This past year, Montevallo led the Gulf South Conference in GSC Honor Roll recipients for a second year in a row.
 
Maas was a member of the Montevallo Title IX Committee and numerous hiring committees within athletics and across the university. He also currently serves on the NCAA Division II Baseball Regional Advisory Committee.
 
Maas worked directly with the UM Director of Athletics on development and fundraising opportunities, where he served as a co-lead with all gifts and cultivation projects. He was directly involved with renovation projects at the Falcons' baseball, track and field/lacrosse, and soccer facilities, as well as securing the naming rights of Bob Riesener Stadium (baseball). He also played a key role in the construction of a new strength and conditioning facility and a locker room project at the baseball complex. He oversaw the athletic department's capital projects, as well as the more than 70 athletics revenue accounts, including camp accounts, facility rentals, and concessions. Maas was co-lead on securing annual corporate sponsorships and was responsible for the negotiation, management, and execution of the department's contracts with Coca-Cola, Under Armour, and Follett.
 
"I want to thank Chancellor Stockton for his leadership and belief in me," Maas said. "I would also like to thank Vice Chancellor Parsons and the entire search committee for giving me the opportunity to lead AUM's athletic department into our next exciting chapter. I am honored to be able to continue building on AUM's storied tradition of success on the field and in the classroom. The entire Warhawks' athletic department is wrapped in passion and I am excited to join that passion. I cannot wait to get on campus and get to work with our outstanding student-athletes, coaches, administrators, and stakeholders."

Maas spent his first six years on the Montevallo baseball coaching staff, the final four as Associate Head Coach. His responsibilities with the team included oversight of the pitching staff, recruiting, scholarship budgets, gameday operations, academic monitoring, strength and conditioning, and field maintenance.
 
Joining a team that posted a 13-36 record the season before his arrival, Maas helped the Falcons to four Peach Belt Conference tournaments, including the tournament championship game in 2013 and 2014, and national rankings in three seasons. He recruited and developed 14 All-PBC selections, eight All-Region performers, and five Southeast Region Gold Glove winners while helping six players sign professional contracts. In the classroom, 21 student-athletes earned All-Peach Belt Conference Academic Team accolades, and the baseball team posted six consecutive semesters with a 3.0 or better team grade point average.
 
Before he arrived at Montevallo, Maas spent six summers working with the Alexandria Beetles, a collegiate wood-bat summer baseball team in the Northwoods League based in Alexandria, Minn. He served as pitching coach for two summers and head coach for three summers, while serving as General Manager and Director of Operations from 2007-09. As GM/Director of Operations, Maas was responsible for organizational oversight including sales, fundraising, budgeting, strategic planning, marketing, merchandising, day-to-day operations, game day operations, and field/stadium operations. Maas also managed concessions, ticketing, community outreach, and camps, while also recruiting, hiring, training, and managing all front office staff, event staff, coaching staff, and collegiate players.
 
Maas also had coaching stops at Tennessee Wesleyan University (Assistant Baseball Coach/Recruiting Coordinator from 2006-07) and the University of North Alabama (Graduate Assistant Baseball Coach from 2003-06). Prior to an injury ending his playing career, Maas was a baseball student-athlete at his alma mater, Flagler College, from 1999-2001. He earned his bachelor's degree in communications, with a minor in advertising, in 2003 from Flagler and his master's in business administration from North Alabama in 2006.