Doug Zipp is in his ninth year as Ohio Wesleyan's athletics director. He leads an NCAA Division III program that saw its 24th sport (men's wrestling) begin intercollegiate competition in the 2018-19 academic year.
Zipp is the 12th athletics director at Ohio Wesleyan since Branch Rickey held the position in 1909.
He came to Ohio Wesleyan from Shenandoah University in Winchester, Va., where he served as director of athletics for 5 years, overseeing 21 varsity sports with 480 student-athletes and 53 full-time and part-time coaches, administrators, and staff.
Zipp led Shenandoah's athletics program through a time of transition, as the school changed conferences, undertook the university's largest athletic construction project, launched women's golf as a new sport, and initiated programs that helped raise the grade point average of student-athletes from 2.8 to 3.08.
Before joining Shenandoah, Zipp worked 16 years at Kenyon College, joining Kenyon in 1996 as dean of residential life. He later was promoted to special assistant to the president and dean of students, and in 2005 he was named associate director of athletics for facilities and operations.
"I am very excited to be part of the OWU community," Zipp said. "Ohio Wesleyan has a strong history of athletic excellence and competitiveness in the North Coast Athletic Conference, with nine all-sport trophies and five national championships. This athletic presence, along with OWU's strong academic credentials, places OWU at the top in Division III."
Zipp is active in professional and community service, serving as an active volunteer with the United Way of Delaware County as well as a term on the NCAA Football Rules Committee. He earned a B.S. degree in psychology from Elmira College, and he holds an M.S. in higher education administration from the University of Rochester.
