Georgia Tech set to hire Tennessee’s Ryan Alpert as new athletic director, per reports

Georgia Tech is set to hire Ryan Alpert as its next athletic director, pending board approval Tuesday, according to multiple reports. The 37-year-old has served as Tennessee’s deputy athletics director and chief revenue officer since 2023 and has agreed to a five-year deal, per ESPN.

Alpert will take over following the departure of J Batt, who left for Michigan State in June. Interim athletic director Jon Palumbo also joined Batt in East Lansing, accepting a new role as the Spartans’ executive deputy athletics director and chief operating officer.

Alpert first joined Tennessee in August 2021 as deputy AD and chief operating officer. He helped lead a period of unprecedented financial growth, with UT athletics surpassing $220 million in operating revenue in fiscal year 2024. The Tennessee Fund also posted a record $139.7 million in donations.

During his time in Knoxville, Alpert oversaw nearly $500 million in capital projects, including the $337 million renovation of Neyland Stadium and the Neyland Entertainment District — a public-private partnership to develop a year-round destination along the Tennessee River.

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Before making the move to Tennessee, Alpert served as deputy athletics director at Florida Atlantic from 2018 to 2020 under Brian White — brother of Tennessee AD Danny White. At FAU, Alpert oversaw development, ticket sales, equipment and strategic planning, helping grow giving totals by more than 600%.

He returned to Missouri in 2020 as deputy AD for external operations after an earlier stint there from 2016 to 2018. During that time, he was promoted to senior associate AD and led record-setting fundraising efforts, including a $55.5 million campaign during the COVID-impacted 2020-21 fiscal year.

Alpert began his athletics career with internships at Miami and South Carolina. He earned his master’s degree at Memphis, where he spent five years working in fundraising and development. He helped lead a $32.5 million capital campaign and secured one of the largest gifts in the history of Memphis women’s athletics.

A native of Columbia, South Carolina, Alpert is a graduate of the University of South Carolina.