Brian Reese was named the fourth director of athletics in Lander University history on Jan. 11, 2017, by President Richard Cosentino.
Since his arrival, Reese has guided one of the most successful periods in Lander Athletics history. Under his leadership, the Bearcats have captured 29 conference championships, advanced to 23 NCAA Tournaments and claimed seven NCAA Region championships. He has also overseen the growth of the athletics department to more than 30 varsity, club and developmental teams while significantly expanding opportunities for student-athletes.
Reese has led significant growth across the department, increasing Lander's student-athlete population from 218 in 2017 to more than 800 while strengthening the department's commitment to academic excellence. The average student-athlete GPA has risen from 3.07 upon his arrival to 3.34, highlighted by 17 consecutive semesters with a department GPA above 3.00 and every team earning at least a 3.00 GPA during the 2025-26 academic year. In addition, Reese has overseen numerous department-wide initiatives, including enhanced game-day experiences, expanded fundraising efforts, facility improvements and strategic partnerships that have elevated the overall student-athlete and fan experience.
Reese brought more than 25 years of collegiate athletics leadership experience to Lander after serving six years as director of athletics at Presbyterian College.
During his tenure at Presbyterian, Reese directed the school's 15-sport intercollegiate athletics program and played a key role in the institution's successful transition to NCAA Division I. He developed and implemented the policies, procedures and strategic initiatives necessary for the move while guiding the department to 13 consecutive semesters with a student-athlete GPA above 3.00 and serving on numerous campus committees dedicated to enhancing the overall student experience.
Before his time at Presbyterian, Reese spent eight years at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn. He began as director of football operations before being promoted to director of sport operations and later associate athletics director. As a member of Vanderbilt's senior leadership team, Reese provided administrative oversight for the football, women's lacrosse and women's bowling programs while helping shape policies for the university's 16-sport athletics department. He also helped develop academic initiatives that resulted in six consecutive semesters with a student-athlete GPA above 3.00 and played a role in the development of Vanderbilt's NCAA championship women's bowling program.
Earlier in his career, Reese served as head athletic trainer at Furman University from 1995-2002 after spending six years as assistant director of sports medicine at The Citadel.
A 1986 graduate of Grand Valley State College, Reese earned a bachelor's degree in physical education before completing a master's degree in athletic administration from the University of Tulsa.
Throughout his career, Reese served in numerous national leadership roles, including the NCAA Division II Athletics Directors Association Board of Directors, the NCAA Division II National Volleyball Committee, the NCAA Division II Men's Soccer Regional Advisory Committee, the NCAA Division I Football Regional Advisory Committee and the Football Championship Subdivision Committee representing the Big South Conference.
