Staff Directory
- Title:
- Director of Athletics
- Email:
- Phone:
- 662-325-0863
Zac Selmon, a nationally respected leader and accomplished administrator with extensive experience at three different Power 4 universities, was named Mississippi State’s 18th Director of Athletics on January 13, 2023. Since arriving in Starkville, Selmon has led Mississippi State in one of the most transformative times in college athletics, while advancing the Bulldogs’ competitive excellence, academic achievement, fundraising and facility enhancements to new heights.
With Selmon at the helm, the department raised a record $84.6 million in fiscal year 2025, more than double the department’s previous fundraising high. Selmon unveiled a bold, long-term facilities master plan impacting every Mississippi State sport, and announced a football indoor practice facility backed by a trailblazing gift from Howard Industries.
During Selmon’s leadership, Mississippi State programs have succeeded nationally. In 2024–25, 12 teams reached NCAA postseason play, tying the second-highest total in school history, while nine programs earned national rankings and six finished in the Top 25 of final polls. Soccer captured its first SEC Championship and rose to a No. 1 national ranking, while men’s basketball advanced to a third straight NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2005 and set a program record with five AP Top 25 wins in a single season. Women’s basketball recorded its third consecutive 20-win campaign and second NCAA appearance in three years under Sam Purcell, while men’s tennis advanced to the NCAA Elite Eight, tying the school record with 29 wins. On the diamond, Mississippi State baseball once again led the nation in attendance, softball posted a winning SEC record for the first time since 2001. While men’s and women’s golf extended program-record streaks of consecutive NCAA postseason appearances. In all, 24 Bulldogs earned All-SEC honors, seven captured major SEC postseason awards, and 18 earned All-America recognition. Across all sports, nearly one million fans attended Mississippi State home events during 2024–25, underscoring the Bulldogs’ standing as one of the nation’s most passionate fan bases.
Equally impressive have been the achievements in the classroom. Mississippi State student-athletes set a school-record 3.37 department GPA in the spring of 2025, with 11 of 13 teams earning above a 3.0. Football set a program GPA record for the third straight semester, while the department posted a 988.3 NCAA Academic Progress Rate with every sport exceeding the standard. Over 100 student-athletes earned Mississippi State degrees during the academic year, and the Bulldogs achieved a record 93 percent Graduation Success Rate. The year also produced two SEC Scholar-Athletes of the Year and four Academic All-Americans, including two National Team Members of the Year.
Off the field, Selmon has emphasized holistic student-athlete development through the expansion of the D.A.W.G. Program and Bulldog Athlete Services, elevating Mississippi State’s efforts in equipping student-athletes with tools for life in the new era of college athletics. He also established the S.T.A.T.E. of Mind core values—Serve, Together, Act, Transform, Excel—as guiding principles for the department.
Selmon’s innovative approach and embrace of the new era of college athletics is evident in the launch of the Talent Management Services division. This newly created business division will involve all aspects of student-athlete acquisition, brand development, NIL integration, contracting and related budgetary and compliance operations. This includes fiscal oversight, market evaluation and strategic brand alignment for current and future student-athletes.
Selmon’s impact has been recognized nationally, including his selection to Sports Business Journal’s prestigious “Forty Under Forty” Class of 2023. Prior to Mississippi State, he served as deputy athletics director at the University of Oklahoma, where he oversaw external engagement, advancement, and football administration, and held senior leadership roles at North Carolina. A four-year starter and dean’s list scholar at Wake Forest, Selmon graduated in 2007 before earning a master’s degree in education with an emphasis in intercollegiate athletics administration from Oklahoma.
The son and nephew of the famed “Selmon Brothers” of Oklahoma football, Selmon carries on his family’s legacy of service as co-founder of the Shine Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to helping children and families in need. He and his wife Rachel, along with daughters Shayne and Rylee (Meatball), proudly call Starkville home—named by USA Today as the “Best Small Town in the South” for two years running.
