RIVERSIDE, Calif. – University of California, Riverside Athletics Chancellor, Kim A. Wilcox, announced on Tuesday, January 12, that UCR Athletics’ Chief of Staff and Senior Associate Athletics Director, Wesley Mallette, has been named Interim Director of Intercollegiate Athletics. Mallette succeeds Tamica Smith Jones who is heading to Kennesaw State University as the Owls’ Chief Operating Officer and will lead the Highlanders Athletics program forward.

“Wes joined UCR Athletics in 2018 and has done a great job for us over the past three years,” said Chancellor Kim A. Wilcox. “I appreciate his willingness to step up in an important leadership role during a challenging time. In addition to leading UCR Athletics, Wes will work closely with me, the Athletics Working Group, and its chair Brian Haynes in the next phase of its work determining the future of athletics at UCR.

“Among other responsibilities, Wes serves as chief of staff, oversees all external relations, communications, marketing, ticketing, media relations, fan experience and events and has sport administration responsibilities for Baseball,” Wilcox added. “A former student athlete at James Madison University, Wes has extensive experience in intercollegiate athletics and the private sector. He served as associate athletics director at UC Berkeley, vice president of communications at Pac-12 Networks, and in corporate and brand communications roles at BET and Viacom.”

“It is an honor to be asked to serve as the Interim Athletics Director at this pivotal time,” said Mallette. “I want to thank Chancellor Wilcox and AD Jones for this opportunity. I look forward to partnering with the Chancellor, Vice Chancellor Haynes, our campus leadership, and our team in Athletics as we forge ahead. There are challenges in front of us, but I believe we have a lot of great pieces in place here. Our coaches, staff, student-athletes, alumni, donors and students love our program and they are quite passionate about it. I am proud to be a part of this team.”

In his role as Chief of Staff and Senior Associate Athletics Director of External Relations, Mallette serves on the leadership team and is responsible for managing multiple units within Athletics. In the summer of 2020, he led Athletics through a comprehensive visual identification brand redesign along with an internal restructuring of the Athletics Department. 

Mallette earned his M.A. in Journalism from the University of Maryland, College Park. A New Jersey native and former football and track and field student-athlete at James Madison University, he currently resides in Southern California with his spouse (Onita), son (Houston) and daughters (Soledad and Nola). 

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What Others Are Saying:

“Wes Mallette is one of the most talented strategic and proactive thinkers and executers in our intercollegiate athletics space in this moment in time. He’s a communicator, connector and collaborator. I’m excited for Wes, but I’m event more hopeful and excited for UC Riverside. They are in great hands with Wes Mallette!”

• Sandy Barbour, Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics, Penn State University

“Wes is one of the most strategic thinkers I’ve worked with in college athletics. That, coupled with a genuine humility and deep care for the student-athlete experience, makes him the perfect person to lead UCR Athletics at this time. High integrity, character and a strong vision have been principles of Wes’s leadership and will most certainly position he and the Highlanders for future success.” 

• Phil Esten, University of St. Thomas Vice President & Director of Athletics

“Wes is one of the most authentic and versatile leaders in college athletics. He truly cares about student-athletes, coaches and staff and the broader campus and that is evident in the way he leads. In addition to his years of corporate experience, Wes has spent more than a decade in collegiate athletics. He is focused on finding solutions and strategies to navigate some of the biggest challenges facing athletics departments, all while bringing people together in the process. I’m excited for UCR Athletics, for the university and the greater Riverside community. Go Highlanders!”

• Alisha Valavanis, CEO/General Manager, Seattle Storm 

“Wes was a great partner at Cal. He is a problem-solver. I found him creative, strategic and calm under pressure. He is very focused on the student-athlete experience and really helped move Cal Athletics forward and changed the narrative for us.”

• Mike Williams, Former Director of Intercollegiate Athletics, University Cal Athletics 

“I believe Wes is an excellent choice to lead UCR Athletics forward. He has a unique skill set to go along with his experiences as a former student-athlete and as an executive in both the private and public sectors. Most importantly, Wes is a great person, a strong leader and a trusted teammate who looks to serve and ensure the success of others.” 

• Dr. Jamil Northcutt, Vice President, Major League Soccer