Virginia Tech’s new athletic director Brian White wasted little time making his first move, bringing in Ryan Gottlieb as deputy athletic director and chief strategy officer on Wednesday, July 1.
The role is a new one for the Hokies, and it gives Gottlieb a wide-ranging mandate. According to the release, he’ll be tasked with building enterprise-wide strategies aimed at boosting revenue, modernizing business operations and setting up the department for long-term success.
White, who worked with Gottlieb at Florida Atlantic, made it clear why he wanted him in Blacksburg.
“Ryan is one of the most respected and innovative revenue generators in college athletics, and we are thrilled to welcome him and his family to Blacksburg,” White said in Tech’s release. “His experience building sustainable revenue models, enhancing the fan experience and creating strategic partnerships will be invaluable as we continue positioning Virginia Tech athletics for long-term success. Ryan understands the rapidly evolving landscape of college athletics and brings a unique blend of creativity, strategic vision and operational excellence that aligns perfectly with our ambitions for Hokie Nation.”
Gottlieb most recently spent time at FAU, where White had hired him in February after a four-year run at Colorado. The Owls created his position specifically for him, and he handled commercial revenue generation with a focus on ticket strategy, sales and service.
He also oversaw the athletic department’s relationship with Playfly, the school’s multimedia rights partner. Virginia Tech also works with Playfly.
His Colorado stop was the most eye-catching stretch on his résumé. As senior associate athletic director and revenue generating officer, he helped drive a 55 percent jump in operating revenues during his tenure. Annual athletics revenue rose from $90 million to $135 million, and he played a central role in adding $5 million in football season ticket revenue in 2025.
Gottlieb’s work in Boulder extended beyond ticketing and revenue. He helped bring 11 major concerts to Folsom Field, drawing more than 400,000 attendees. The lineup included Dead & Company, Tyler Childers, Odesza, Phish and John Summit.
Before Colorado, Gottlieb spent five years at Rutgers, where his impact showed up across several sports. The Scarlet Knights posted four straight years of men’s basketball season ticket growth, ranked in the top four nationally in wrestling attendance and led the nation in average football attendance growth in 2021. He also helped land Jersey Mike’s as the naming rights partner for the Rutgers Athletics Center.
Earlier in his career, Gottlieb worked at Georgia Tech from 2014 to 2017, helping the Yellow Jackets set a school record for total ticket revenue in 2015 while also reshaping the department’s fan engagement approach. A native of Atlanta, he graduated from South Carolina in 2009.
“I’m incredibly grateful to Brian White for the opportunity to join Virginia Tech athletics and become part of Hokie Nation,” Gottlieb said. “Virginia Tech is committed to investing in athletics and growing resources to create a championship-caliber experience for student-athletes and fans alike. I can’t wait to get to Blacksburg and begin working with our coaches, staff, and supporters to develop new resources that will take Virginia Tech athletics to greater heights.”
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James Franklin arrives in Blacksburg with a rsum that explains why Virginia Tech was willing to make a major move, even after the Penn State exit came sooner than expected. He spent 12 seasons in State College and, before that, had already shown at Vanderbilt that he could take a struggling program and push it toward relevance, which is why the Hokies are betting on him to do the same for their own rebuild.
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