A seasoned athletics administrator, Mo White joined Connecticut College as Assistant Director of Athletics for Business Operations on November 5, 2018 and began her tenure as the school's first woman to serve as Director of Athletics on October 1, 2019.
As director, White is responsible for overseeing the success of 28 intercollegiate sports together with 45 coaches and staff. This includes overseeing plans for the renewal of athletics facilities, leading the department in developing a vision for the future of athletics at Connecticut College, and supporting the College's student-athletes to compete within The New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) at the highest level of Division III.
White comes to the position with extensive experience in athletics marketing, consulting and higher education. As an athlete, coach, faculty member and administrator, she has twice before served as a director of athletics, developing highly competitive programs at two institutions. She joined Connecticut College last fall as assistant director of athletics for business operations to lead a review of institution's athletics operations and to design new approaches for funding the department. Since that time, she has had a transformative effect on athletics.
White holds a bachelor's degree in economics from Providence College, where she played Division I tennis, and a master's in sport management from the University of Connecticut. Prior to Connecticut College, she served as the director of athletics and chair of the Department of Physical Education at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, New York. During her tenure at the Academy, she reorganized the department, developing an inclusive team approach that led to greater equity across programs. She also initiated facilities improvements, including new construction, to enhance competitiveness. One of her key priorities was to grow programs and develop new recruitment strategies to increase the number of women and other underrepresented students. The Academy teams had their most successful years under her leadership and developed a nationally televised rivalry with the U.S. Coast Guard Academy.
Previously, White served in a variety of roles at Mitchell College in New London, including head men's tennis coach, assistant professor for business and professional studies, department chair for sport management and physical education and director of athletics. Among her accomplishments, she launched the sport management bachelor's degree, and, as director of athletics, worked closely with the NCAA to build a model Division III athletics program. Through her leadership, student participation increased by 60 percent, and teams won both conference championships and earned NCAA championship berths.
White has played and continues to play leadership roles within the NCAA, with service on a variety of committees including the cross-division group that handles competitive safeguards and medical aspects in sport.
White was selected after a highly competitive national search led by a committee comprising students, faculty, staff, and a member of the board of trustees which was supported by Spelman Johnson, a leading U.S. college athletics search firm. She succeeds and will continue to collaborate regularly with Fran Shields, who became the inaugural Director of the Camel Athletics Network and Athletic Director Emeritus after serving in the department's leading role for the past 16 years.
