BOCA RATON, Fla. – Florida Atlantic University Vice President and Director of Athletics Brian White announced Friday the hiring of Mike DeGeorge as deputy athletics director/brand & communications.
DeGeorge possesses nearly two decades of Division I collegiate experience, including the last six at Duke University where he was executive director of communications and led the media relations efforts for the men’s basketball program.
“As we have strategically built our athletics infrastructure at Florida Atlantic, this is a position of critical importance in managing the department’s public-facing units,” said White. “Mike is an accomplished communicator and administrator, bringing a passion to FAU that aligns with that of our student-athletes, coaches and staff. In adding Mike to this executive leadership role, I’m confident in his ability to lead our communications, marketing, creative and broadcast teams as we continue to enhance the tremendous momentum of the FAU brand.”
Assuming official duties in early November, DeGeorge will serve on the department’s executive leadership team and work closely with White on strategic communications and brand enhancement initiatives while serving as the spokesperson for FAU Athletics. He will oversee the communications, marketing, creative and broadcast units, and serve as a sport administrator.
“I am honored to be joining Brian White and the talented Florida Atlantic staff at such a unique time in the school’s athletics history,” said DeGeorge. “Brian is a respected leader in college athletics who has demonstrated a firm commitment to winning, while fostering a championship culture for the student-athletes and coaches. The energy in Boca Raton and on campus is infectious and I can’t wait to share FAU’s incredible story.”
While with the Blue Devils, DeGeorge directed the communications efforts for the school’s high-profile men’s basketball program and was the team’s liaison to the local and national media. He helped promote and publicize multiple national award winners, including two national players of the year and a pair of No. 1 NBA draft picks in Zion Williamson and Paolo Banchero.
DeGeorge spearheaded the communication strategies and media planning for the retirement announcement of Hall of Fame head coach Mike Krzyzewski and hiring of new head coach Jon Scheyer in 2022. He also collaborated regularly with the program’s creative team that manages the most-followed social media accounts in collegiate sports — @DukeMBB.
In 2019, DeGeorge was promoted to Duke’s executive director of communications and assumed oversight of the eight full-time communications staff members. He served on the external relations leadership team, spent time as the men’s golf media contact and was the secondary sport administrator for the baseball program.
DeGeorge moved to Duke following a two-year stint as the assistant athletics director for communications and broadcasting at Kennesaw State University where he led the communications, creative and broadcasting units, and served as the football media contact.
Serving on the department’s leadership team during the birth of its Division I football program, DeGeorge, in strategic efforts to enhance and expand Kennesaw State’s brand in the Atlanta metro area, negotiated the school’s initial media rights contracts. KSU became the first Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) program in a Top 10 media market to secure a local television agreement.
He spent five years on the sports information staff at Georgia Tech as the primary contact for football and baseball, and five years prior at the University of Richmond, where he was the media contact for football, which won the 2008 Division I National Championship, and baseball.
A native of Buffalo, N.Y., DeGeorge holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Dayton and began his career in collegiate athletics as a communications intern at Xavier University in 2006.
