Dr. Lisa Campos was announced as UTSA’s Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics and Athletics Director on Nov. 17, 2017. She took the reins of the Roadrunners after five years as the Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics at Northern Arizona University (NAU).
“As we shape UTSA into an exemplary urban serving discovery enterprise, it is crucial that our athletic program has a leader who knows how to harness and build on the energy that collegiate athletics brings to San Antonio,” said UTSA president Taylor Eighmy. “Lisa Campos is that leader. By all measures, she is a true rising star and her energy, enthusiasm, vision and acumen are exactly what we need to build on our excellent foundations in athletics and move the program downfield.”
Eighmy cited Campos’ strategic approach to continuous improvement at NAU, including creatively using all available resources to increase ticket sales, donations and sponsorships, as a key factor in her selection.
Dr. Campos was hired in April 2012 as Northern Arizona’s Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics. A 2017 SportsBusiness Journal Forty Under 40 honoree, Campos has guided the Lumberjacks to three Big Sky Conference Presidents’ Cup trophies; an award that recognizes the department’s overall excellence in competition and in the classroom. In 2013, NAU became the fourth institution to win multiple Presidents’ Cups, claiming it’s second after initially capturing the award during the 2005-06 academic year. The Lumberjacks went on to add a third honor in 2014.
NAU has captured 32 team conference championships during Campos’ tenure in Flagstaff. Overall, nine teams have advanced to NCAA postseason competition, including the first NCAA Division I National Title in school history, captured by the men’s cross country team in 2016-17. The Lumberjacks’ cross country NCAA National Championship also represented the first non-football NCAA Title for a member of the Big Sky Conference.
The Lumberjacks’ stellar athletic achievements have led to the men’s programs winning the Big Sky All-Sports Trophy four consecutive times from 2014-17. Meanwhile, the women’s teams have captured the trophy in 2014 and 2017.
The most recent academic year of 2016-17 saw the department’s 15 NCAA programs capture a total of eight conference championships. NAU swept the Big Sky All-Sports Trophies for the second time under Campos’ guidance.
In addition, a total of 61 student-athletes earned their degrees during the 2016-17 academic year. Four received CoSIDA Academic All-District honors, while Rene Coggins (women’s basketball) and Tyler Day (cross country/track & field) were named CoSIDA Academic All-Americans in their respective sports.
NAU had 123 total student-athletes earn All-Academic honors from the Big Sky and Western Athletic Conference in 2016-17. Additionally, Campos and the Lumberjacks continued to give back to the community with the department eclipsing 5,000 service hours for the third straight year.
Campos currently sits on the prestigious NCAA Division I Football Oversight Committee, a subcommittee of the new governance model. She also sits on the Board of Directors for Women’s Leaders and for the local United Way of Northern Arizona.
Campos took over the leadership of the NAU Athletics Department after serving as the Senior Associate Athletic Director at the University of Texas at El Paso from 2006-12. She became one of 26 females and the youngest in the country to lead a Division I program at the time of her hire.
She holds a doctorate degree in Educational Leadership from UTEP. Campos graduated from Colorado State University with a bachelor’s of science degree in Business Administration and a master’s of science degree in Student Affairs in Higher Education.
A native of Las Animas, Colorado, Campos is married to Darren D’Attilio. They live in Flagstaff with their son, Christopher.
