University of Maryland, Baltimore County

Jason Fein joined UMBC Athletics as Deputy Director of Athletics/Chief Operating Officer in February 2025.

In his role at UMBC, Fein focuses on the day-to-day operations of the Department of Athletics, Physical Education, and Recreation, providing management, supervision, leadership, and evaluation.

The college athletics veteran joined UMBC having previously served as Director of Athletics at three NCAA institutions—the College of Staten Island (2006-08), Drew University (2008-17), and Bates College (2017-24)—in addition to time in athletics administration roles at CSI and his alma mater, Brooklyn College.
 
"I am overjoyed to add Jason to our staff and welcome him as a veteran and transformative leader in our department," Tucker said at the time of Fein's hiring. "His diverse experiences and keen ability to navigate today's college athletics landscape will be invaluable to help guide UMBC Athletics through our next chapter of growth, success, and innovation."
 
"I couldn't be more thrilled to join UMBC. I want to thank Tiffany for entrusting me with this opportunity to play a pivotal role in shaping her strategic direction for UMBC Athletics," Fein said. "Her vision of building success for an athletics department and supporting student-athletes, coaches, and staff in competition and life aligns closely with mine. I am excited to work with her team, connect with the Chesapeake Bay community, and become an integral part of Retriever Nation."
 
In his seven-plus years at Bates, Fein navigated the athletics department through a transformative period that included evolution in the department's staffing and enhancements in the student-athlete experience that resulted in marked success for numerous Bobcat sports. During his tenure, Bates teams won three NCAA championships, seven NESCAC titles and more than 200 Bobcat student-athletes earned All-America honors across the school's 31 varsity sports. Bates student-athletes maintained an overall 3.43 grade point average during his time leading the department.
 
The two-time National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) NCAA Division III Athletics Director of the Year (2015-16 at Drew and 2020-21 at Bates) spearheaded a number of capital improvement projects at Bates, including the Garcelon Field turf upgrade, Russell Street Field's new turf and lighting installation, and the Alumni Gymnasium renovation that included a new competition floor, bleachers, lobby and conference room. Prior to departing Bates, he led the athletic department's fundraising and planning efforts to construct a new, on-campus fitness and wellness facility currently scheduled for construction beginning next year. His leadership in improving the athletics department's facilities created more flexibility in practice and competition for Bates teams and enhanced the athletics experience for its student-athletes.
 
Fein led the hiring of several current head coaches and the charge to make assistant coaches full-time employees, giving Bates teams more stability and resources, and providing more support for success on and off the fields of play. His vision took the athletics department through a strategic review that resulted in the addition of the Senior Associate Athletics Director/SWA and Director of Sports Medicine and Athletics Performance positions.
 
A consummate collaborator, Fein was instrumental in the creation of the Bates Athletics Hall of Fame, which will induct its inaugural class in 2025. He worked with Advancement to usher in the Friends of Bates Athletics Challenge that has brought in nearly $2,000,000 since its inception to support Bates varsity and club sports teams. A stalwart advocate for student-athletes, he instituted equity and allyship programming and oversaw the creation of social justice groups to foster a more inclusive athletics department at Bates that has grown to be better integrated with the campus culture.
 
Fein and the entire department answered the call during the COVID-19 pandemic to help ensure the health and safety of the Bates community. He oversaw the successful transformation of Underhill Ice Arena into a testing center, helped convert the auxiliary gym space into an additional dining facility and orchestrated the reconfiguration of the fitness center to offer virtual workout opportunities and pop-up outdoor fitness classes.
 
Beyond his impact as a leader on the Lewiston, Maine campus, he is a respected leader nationally as well. He is an active member of NACDA, Minority Opportunities Athletic Association (MOAA) and the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC), currently serving on its Board of Directors, and was a previous member of the NADIIIAA communications committee. He served a four-year term on the NCAA Division III Management Council from 2018-22, including one year as chair in 2021-22, when he also served on the NCAA Board of Governors. He has served on the NCAA Diversity and Inclusion Working Group, Division III Subcommittee for Legislative Relief and Division III Championships Committee as the national liaison for men's basketball and men's and women's rowing. He previously served as chair of the Division III Interpretations and Legislation Committee, and served on the MOAA Board of Directors from 2021-24.
 
His experience in event management and operations in the sports industry extends across a variety of events and organizations – working as an event coordinator with Complete Sports Management and on the media operations staffs for the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic, College Football Playoff National Championship, and numerous NCAA championships including the NCAA Men's Final Four. In addition, he served on the postseason media operations staff for the New York Yankees and oversaw media relations as an Assistant Venue Press Chief for the skating venues at the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City.
 
The Brooklyn, N.Y., native garnered two degrees from Brooklyn College with a Bachelor of Science degree in athletic training and a Master of Science degree in Sport Management.