Dan Satter Named Big Sky Deputy Commissioner
OGDEN, Utah (May 3, 2019) – Big Sky Conference Commissioner Tom Wistrcill announced today the hiring of Dan Satter as Deputy Commissioner.
“We are very excited to welcome such a thoughtful and accomplished leader to the Big Sky Conference,” said Commissioner Wistrcill. “Dan brings invaluable experience from multiple Division I institutions in areas such as media relations, social media, marketing, strategic planning and financial acumen, all of which will be a huge benefit to the conference. He will be a great asset to our universities and office staff as we continue to pursue an ambitious agenda to be the preeminent FCS conference. We worked together closely for five years and I look forward to joining forces again.”
With more than 15 years of experience in intercollegiate athletics, Satter brings to the Big Sky Conference a wealth of knowledge.
“My family and I are absolutely thrilled to venture west to join the Big Sky Conference and help support its wonderful collection of member institutions, presidents and athletic directors — and their staffs,” said Satter. “I am especially grateful to Tom Wistrcill, a true servant leader and selfless mentor, for providing me the opportunity to be his teammate once again, and also am eager to work alongside my new colleagues in the league office.”
Satter spent the past four years as the Deputy Director of Athletics at Boston University, serving as the chief operating officer responsible for the daily operations of BU's NCAA Division I athletic department with 600 student-athletes on 24 varsity teams supported by 100 coaches and staff. Satter oversaw the business office and budget, human resources, marketing and communications, facilities and operations, capital planning, community relations, analytics, and information technology. He also was the sport administrator for six teams.
Prior to BU, Satter spent five years at the University of Akron, where he worked under Wistrcill as the Senior Associate Athletics Director for External Relations. At Akron, he was responsible for revenue generation and oversaw marketing, sports information, ticket operations, new media, social media, and the department’s multimedia rights. He was the liaison for IMG College and IMG Learfield Ticketing Solutions, and was the sport administrator for men’s basketball while assisting Wistrcill with overseeing football.
During his first stint at BU from 2007 to 2010, Satter served as Assistant Athletic Director for Marketing Communications before being elevated to Associate Athletic Director for Marketing Communications in 2009.
Before joining the Terriers in 2007, Satter served for three years as the Assistant General Manager for the Pitt ISP Sports Network at the University of Pittsburgh. Prior to ISP Sports, Satter worked directly for the University of Pittsburgh's athletic department. He also worked for the University of North Carolina athletic department, and with Learfield Communications for one year in its Tar Heel Sports Marketing office.
“We are eager to continue enhancing the world-class experience the conference provides its student-athletes, coaches, alumni, and fans while embodying what NCAA Division I intercollegiate athletics should be about,” Satter said. “I am particularly enthused to do so while fulfilling and representing the mission and values that make the Big Sky unique and exceptional.”
Satter received a bachelor's degree from the University of North Carolina with a double major in history and journalism & mass communication (with a news-editorial concentration). Satter earned a master's degree from UNC in exercise and sport science with a concentration in sport administration while teaching undergraduate physical education courses. In December 2007, Satter received a master's in business administration from Carnegie Mellon's Tepper School of Business, with concentrations in organizational behavior, marketing, and strategy.
A native of Framingham, Mass., Satter and his wife, Sarah Bea, who completed her doctorate in education from BU, have two daughters, Magnolia and Lula, and a son, Dino.
Satter will begin at the Big Sky on July 15, 2019.