The Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) appointed David Mullins as its next chief executive officer, marking the third executive leader in the Association’s nearly 70-year history.
Mullins’ appointment comes after Bowlsby Sports Advisors conducted a national search.
In 2019, the ITA hired Mullins as managing director of community engagement and coach empowerment and, in 2021, he was promoted to chief operating officer, working with a diverse range of stakeholders, including, but not limited to, coaches, student-athletes, officials, and ITA partners.
Mullins was responsible for curating and expanding the ITA Center for Coach Education, which has since grown into a comprehensive educational resource for coaches within intercollegiate athletics. Mullins also led the Tennis For America pilot program and the adoption of wheelchair tennis as an official division of play under the ITA’s governance.
In addition to these initiatives, as COO, Mullins has reportedly been at the forefront of meaningful discussions regarding the collegiate landscape. He is also leading a study of the future role of sports wagering in college tennis. He has established “critical relationships with many of sports’ largest organizations, including the USTA, the ITF, and the ATP, with whom he has advocated for,r and implemented “many groundbreaking initiatives in college tennis today.”
ITA Chairman of the Board, Jon Vegosen, said, “I am confident that Dave will fill the big shoes required to succeed current CEO, Tim Russell, and Tim’s predecessor, David Benjamin. The combination of Dave’s knowledge of and passion for tennis, especially college tennis, his broad tennis experience, his terrific ability to relate well with others, his tireless work ethic, his humility, and his pursuit of continuous learning will well serve him, the ITA, and college tennis.”
Before being COO of the ITA, Mullins spent 12 years as a college tennis coach at DePaul University, Northwestern University and the University of Oklahoma.
Mullins said, “I am deeply honored and thrilled for the opportunity entrusted to me by the ITA Board of Directors to assume this vital role. College tennis has been an extraordinary catalyst for personal growth in my life, and I approach this responsibility with profound humility. My fervent aspiration is to collaborate closely with all stakeholders, particularly our esteemed coaches, to safeguard and elevate college tennis for future generations.”
Mullins will spend the next six months as the CEO designate, continuing his work with the ITA’s current Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Timothy Russell. Mullins officially takes over as the Association’s CEO on January 1, 2025.
Russell said, “I have had the pleasure of knowing Dave Mullins since starting my role with our Association in 2015, and the great joy and privilege of working closely with him for the past five years as he has served tirelessly and grown deeply in his various roles with the ITA. He has been as outstanding a Chief Operating Officer as any organization could hope for. He thoroughly understands the ITA and our sport. A person of profound integrity and unwavering commitment to college tennis, in his new role, Dave will work closely with our dedicated Board of Directors and astonishing staff to navigate the critically important times of change in college athletics and higher education with a steady hand and strength of conviction.”
At the request of the ITA Board, Russell will serve as an advisor to the ITA through June of 2026.
