On Tuesday, the Stony Brook Athletics department officially announced that Senior Associate Director of Athletics Matt Larsen will be leaving the university to become the new Director of Athletics at North Dakota State University. Larsen has spent the past 19 years working with Stony Brook after spending four years playing for the university’s football team.
“North Dakota State hit a home run with Matt Larsen,” Stony Brook Director of Athletics Shawn Heilbron said in a statement. “He is ready for this opportunity, and I’m excited to watch the Bison take tremendous strides forward under his leadership.”
Larsen has been serving as the Department of Athletics chief financial officer. He has been in charge of overseeing the annual development and fiscal management of the department’s operating budget, which saw an increase of 40 percent from 2003 to 2013. He also played a large role in putting together the department’s five-year plan to incorporate football scholarships at the FCS level.
The longtime administrator also provided oversight to the Office of External Services and has been responsible for varsity sport program oversight for the football, baseball, men’s lacrosse, women’s soccer and men’s and women’s cross country/track and field programs at Stony Brook.
During his time with Stony Brook, the university has seen its athletics programs grow tremendously and has watched many of its teams make great strides at the Division I-level. This has included seeing the school’s baseball team reach the College World Series in 2012 and the school’s football team reach the second round of the NCAA Division I Football Championship in 2011 and 2012.
Larsen will become NDSU’s 18th director of athletics, beginning on Oct. 14. He will replace Gene Taylor, who resigned after 13 seasons to become the deputy athletic director at the University of Iowa.
“This is an exciting opportunity for my family and me,” Larsen said in statement. “While we are looking forward to joining the Bison Family, it is bittersweet as Stony Brook has been such a big part of my professional and personal life. I am truly grateful for the opportunity Stony Brook has provided me, and I will forever cherish my time here.”
