COLUMBUS, Ohio – Senior Deputy Athletics Director Janine Oman announced today that Jocelyn Gates, Senior Associate Director of Athletics and Senior Woman Administrator at Boston College and with prior positions at South Florida, Duke and the NCAA, has been named a Senior Associate Director of Athletics with the Ohio State Dept. of Athletics. Gates will have administrative oversight with Ohio State’s football program and comes to Columbus after nearly four years at Boston College.
“We are all excited to welcome Jocelyn to the sports administration team at Ohio State,” Oman said. “Jocelyn is a connector who excels at building relationships and is committed to providing our student athletes’ exceptional experiences. Her varied and impressive background in intercollegiate athletics will greatly benefit our team.”
Gates’ responsibilities will include serving as the liaison to the offices of Compliance and Student-Athlete Support Services, and University partners. She will administer the department’s Diversity and Inclusion area and will have oversight of an additional sport.
“I am both honored and humbled to be given the opportunity to serve one of the most storied programs in college athletics,” Gates said. “The Ohio State University has an unwavering commitment to academic and athletic excellence. I would like to thank both Gene Smith and Janine Oman for their support during this process and for the opportunity they have given me to join a wonderful team.
“Additionally, Ohio State’s tradition of excellence on the football field is second to none, and having the chance to work directly with this championship football program will be, without question, an incredible opportunity to continue serving student-athletes and coaches at the highest level. My family and I are thrilled to join the Buckeye team.”
Gates had direct oversight of the women’s basketball, women’s soccer and men’s and women’s golf programs at Boston College. In 2018, she hired women’s basketball coach Joanna Bernabei-McNamee, who went on to be named the ACC Coach of the Year in just her second season (2019-20).
The 2020 NCAA Division I FBS Nike Administrator of the Year, Gates also had departmental supervision of human resources, student-athlete development, compliance and strength and conditioning while at Boston College. She was also the Deputy Title IX Coordinator for the athletics department, which included 750 student-athletes and 31 programs.
“I’d like to welcome Jocelyn to Ohio State University and compliment Janine Oman on a very successful search process,” Gene Smith, Senior Vice President and Wolfe Foundation Director of Athletics, said. “Jocelyn is a highly successful sport administrator with a diverse background of experiences.”
Prior to her position with Boston College, Gates spent four years (2013-17) at the University of South Florida, where she was the Senior Associate Director of Athletics and Senior Woman Administrator. She oversaw the women’s basketball, men’s golf and women’s golf programs while also providing secondary oversight with the football program and was in charge of football scheduling. She was also the department’s Title IX Coordinator.
Gates was promoted to her role at USF after holding the title of assistant athletics director/administration from July of 2013 through May of 2014. In that role, she was involved in all day-to-day operations of the department.
Gates joined USF after spending more than four years at Duke University as the Assistant Director for the Iron Dukes Annual Fund (2011-2013) and as Special Assistant to the Vice President/Director of Athletics (2009-2011). Prior to moving to Durham, Gates worked at the NCAA headquarters in Indianapolis as a Postgraduate Intern in the Diversity & Inclusion department.
Gates is a native of Wilmington, Del., and is a 2003 graduate of Howard University where she lettered four seasons as a member of the women’s soccer program. After receiving her degree in biology from Howard, she earned a master’s degree in kinesiology-sport psychology from Georgia Southern University in 2008. She is currently pursuing an Executive Doctor of Education (Ed.D).
Gates is married to Dennis Gates, the head men’s basketball coach at Cleveland State University. The couple has two children: a daughter, Avery, and a son, Duke.
COURTESY OHIO STATE ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS
