Dr. J. Keith Motley Endowed Chair, Sport Leadership and Administration

Director, New Balance Institute for Innovative Leadership in Sport

The College of Education and Human Development (CEHD) at the University of Massachusetts Boston invites applications and nominations for a tenured faculty appointment at the rank of Associate or Full Professor to serve as the Dr. J. Keith Motley Endowed Chair in Sport Leadership and Administration and Director of the New Balance Institute for Innovative Leadership in Sport.

This distinguished appointment combines academic leadership of a nationally recognized Bachelor of Arts program in Sport Leadership and Administration (SLA) with directorship of the New Balance Institute for Innovative Leadership in Sport. The successful candidate will provide visionary leadership at the intersection of scholarship, teaching, program development, and equity-driven innovation in sport.

Position Overview

The Endowed Chair and Institute were established through a generous philanthropic partnership with New Balance, reflecting a shared commitment to expanding inclusive leadership within sport. The $15 million total endowment provides salary support as well as resources for research, travel, program innovation, and student scholarships.

The Endowed Chair and Director will advance a long-term strategic vision for the SLA undergraduate program and the New Balance Institute, with an explicit emphasis on equity, diversity, inclusion, and leadership development within the sport industry.

We seek an equity-minded scholar-leader with a sustained record of excellence in research, teaching, and service in sport leadership and/or sport administration. We are particularly interested in scholars whose research focuses on sport leadership as it relates to at least one of the following three areas: 1) racial/ethnic diversity; 2) gender equity and intersectionality; and 3) race and gender in college athletics.

Faculty responsibilities include: 1) teaching courses in the undergraduate program and, as appropriate, graduate levels; 2) maintaining an active, high-impact research agenda with relevance for sport leadership and/or administration in a variety of settings; 3) advising undergraduate students with potential opportunities to serve on dissertation committees; and 4) contributing service to university, college, departmental, and program committees, to professional associations, and to local, national, and/or international communities. The College recognizes that the scholarly work of faculty often includes the integration of teaching, research, and service.

Key Responsibilities of the Endowed Chair and Director:

• Provide academic and strategic leadership for the Sport Leadership and Administration undergraduate program, including curriculum innovation, assessment, and long-range planning.
• Serve as Director of the New Balance Institute for Innovative Leadership in Sport, advancing its mission, visibility, and impact locally, nationally, and globally.
• Strengthen and expand experiential and career-ready learning opportunities through partnerships with professional, collegiate, community, and corporate sport organizations.
• Advance equity-centered scholarship, teaching, and programmatic initiatives that prepare students to lead in diverse and complex sport contexts.
• Mentor and advise students and early-career scholars and contribute to faculty leadership within CEHD and the university.
• Build and sustain productive relationships with industry partners, alumni, community organizations, and university stakeholders.
• Seek and obtain additional external resources through externally sponsored grants, contracts, and philanthropic gifts.
• Contribute to shared governance and service at the department, college, and university levels.

Required Qualifications

• Earned doctorate in sport leadership, administration, or a closely related discipline.
• Tenured appointment at another accredited institution, at the rank of Associate or Full Professor by the time of appointment.
• Record of scholarly achievement with sustained publication in peer-reviewed journals.
• National or international reputation in sport leadership and sport administration.
• Demonstrated excellence in teaching and student mentoring.
• Experience in academic program leadership or administration.
• Demonstrated success in building external partnerships, fundraising, or industry collaboration.
• Clear evidence of commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusive excellence through scholarship, teaching, service, and/or professional engagement.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience directing or leading an academic center or institute.
• Experience integrating experiential learning, industry engagement, and workforce development into academic programs.

The mission of the Sport Leadership and Administration program is to cultivate equity-minded, character driven, and transformational leaders who will positively improve society through sport. The program prepares students for careers within the sport industry with the goal of transforming and improving organizations and communities.

The purpose of the New Balance Institute for Innovative Leadership in Sport (I2LS) strives to produce impactful research education, and programming that advances equity, innovation, performance, and holistic wellness in society through sport.

The College of Education and Human Development is ranked the top public college of education in the state of Massachusetts (U.S. News and World Report, 2025) and is guided by our core values of social justice, community engagement and academic excellence. We offer two undergraduate majors, 40 graduate degree and certificate programs, and are home to 6 centers and institutes.

The University of Massachusetts Boston is an urban public research university with a teaching soul, ranked by the Carnegie Foundation as the nation’s number one R1 university for student access. The university combines high research intensity with a deep commitment to educational opportunity, serving a highly diverse and largely first-generation student population. Faculty at UMass Boston engage students as collaborators in research, scholarship, and creative activity, strengthening inquiry through multiple perspectives and real-world relevance.

We are the third most diverse university in the country - more than 60% of our undergraduate students come from minoritized communities and groups and more than half of our students are the first in their families to attend a college or university. Thus, our students come to us from richly diverse life experiences and backgrounds; they bring to our classrooms and research settings the robust range of perspectives growing out of the socio-cultural, economic, and historical contexts in which they have lived, along with the challenges they encounter, engage, and strive to overcome. We invite applications from candidates who reflect the diverse life experiences of our student body, who appreciate that students bring their holistic selves into the academic setting, and who recognize and articulate how their own life experiences and backgrounds have shaped their journeys, practices, and commitments as researchers, scholars, and educators.

Application Process

To apply, candidates must submit the following materials:

1. Cover letter outlining interest in and qualifications for the position
2. Curriculum vitae
3. Three representative scholarly publications
4. Evidence of teaching effectiveness
5. Names and contact information for three professional references

Applications should be submitted electronically at: UMass Boston Careers

Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled.

UMass Boston expects to pay within an approximate range between $188k and $205k for this position.  

UMass Boston is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, we will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations for the hiring process. If reasonable accommodation is needed, please contact HR@umb.edu or 617-287-5150.