Erik Maas enters his fourth year as the Director of Athletics at Auburn University at Montgomery.
An administrator with more than 20 years of experience in leadership, management, and coaching in college athletics, was announced as the next Director of Athletics at Auburn University at Montgomery by Chancellor Dr. Carl A. Stockton on August 8, 2022.
The Warhawks soared to major success on the field and in the classroom in 2024-2025. The department's GPA increased from 3.39 in 2022-2023, to 3.45 in 2023-2024, and to 3.50 this past academic year. 87 percent of Warhawk student-athletes earned a 3.0 GPA or higher, while all 11 AUM teams finished the semester with a 3.0 GPA. AUM also landed seven student-athletes on GSC All-Academic Teams, while softball’s Chloe Baynes was named to the GSC Top 10, an award given to the top student-athlete in the league.
Additionally, two student-athletes were awarded NCAA DII Degree Completion Scholarships, Lexi Love (SB) and Danielle Luckey (WBKB). This year saw the launch of the Chi Alpha Sigma society, the national college-athlete honor society, which inducted 41 inaugural members
Big wins in the classroom helped lay the foundation on the field for one of the most successful seasons the Warhawks have had as an NCAA Division II institution. The volleyball team saw Maya Thompson earn First Team All-GSC honors and become the first AUM player to earn the title of CCA First Team All-Region.
On the cross country course, the women’s team collected their highest finish at the NCAA South Region championship with their 10th place finish, while the men tied their best finish in eighth place.
On the pitch, the men's soccer team won its first Gulf South Conference Championship in program history. They finished the year ranked #5 in the country, the highest national ranking in NCAA program history. 11 wins, including seven conference victories, marks the NCAA program record for most in a season.
The women’s basketball program recorded the second-most overall wins (12) and conference victories (10) in NCAA program history, while also earning their second consecutive berth in the GSC Women’s Basketball Championship tournament.
The spring season showcased continued growth and national success across AUM athletics. Women’s tennis concluded the year ranked #20 in the nation, marking one of the program’s strongest seasons to date. Softball captured the Gulf South Conference regular season championship and advanced to its fifth consecutive NCAA Regional Tournament. The Warhawks claimed the NCAA Regional title and moved on to the Super Regionals for the second straight year, finishing the season ranked #11 nationally. In addition, AUM celebrated the launch of its women’s golf program, becoming the university’s 12th collegiate sport.
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.
