Plunkett appointed UNG athletic director

University of North Georgia (UNG) President Bonita Jacobs has selected Mary Rob Plunkett, UNG's associate athletic director for business and senior woman administrator, as the university's new athletic director. Plunkett succeeds Lindsay Reeves, who is retiring at the end of the year; she will transition into her new role beginning Jan. 1.

"This search attracted national interest and produced many superb and highly qualified candidates, which is a testament to the growing stature of UNG and our athletic programs," Jacobs said. "Mary Rob is passionate about using intercollegiate athletics as a vehicle to educate and inspire, and I am confident that she will provide the vision and commitment to sustain the successful momentum of our athletic programs."

Plunkett has been on staff with the Nighthawks athletics department since 2016. She currently provides financial oversight for the department's operating and foundation budgets.

"I am honored and humbled to accept the position of director of athletics at the University of North Georgia," said Plunkett. "Thank you to President Jacobs and the search committee for this opportunity to lead one of the nation's top Division II athletic programs. I am excited to continue to serve UNG, our exceptional student-athletes, coaches and staff and look forward to building on Lindsay Reeves' legacy of success and achieving new heights for Nighthawk Athletics.

Plunkett also serves as UNG's Title IX deputy coordinator and as the chair to the Peach Belt Conference Senior Woman Administrator Council. She is a member of the NCAA Division II Women's Soccer Regional Advisory Committee and is a member of Women Leaders in College Sports and NACDA. Plunkett is a 2020 graduate of the Leadership Enhancement Institute.

In April 2019, Plunkett received UNG's Advisor of the Year Award at the university's annual Blue & Gold Awards for her leadership efforts with the department's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.

She came to UNG following administrative positions within athletics at Auburn University and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Plunkett joined the Auburn staff as the director of golf operations for two seasons after serving as the assistant director of athletic event management at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she coordinated and managed events and supervised game day staff.

Plunkett earned a master's degree in exercise and sport science, sport administration from UNC Chapel Hill, and she is currently pursuing an MBA from Georgia Tech. She earned a bachelor's degree in business administration from Georgia College & State University, where she was a four-time letterman and team captain on the women's soccer team. She was selected as a NSCAA third-team All-America, as well as a first-team Academic All-American in 2009.