Bret Hardin was named associate athletics director for major gifts at Georgia Tech on Sept. 1, 2023.
A metro Atlanta native, Hardin returned home after serving as associate director of athletic development at Alabama for more than four years (2019-23). In that role, Hardin worked alongside J Batt, who led the Crimson Tide’s fundraising efforts before being named Georgia Tech’s director of athletics in October 2022.
Prior to his four-year stint at Alabama, Hardin also held fundraising roles at Southern Miss (assistant director of athletic development – 2018-19) and West Georgia, where he served as the director of the athletics annual fund for a year (2017-18).
He began his career in athletic fundraising as a graduate assistant at Alabama (2015-17).
After graduating from Harrison H.S. in Kennesaw, Hardin attended Marquette, where he was an all-Big East performer in the weight throw and hammer throw and a four-time academic all-Big East honoree. He finished his collegiate career ranked second in Marquette history in the outdoor hammer throw (60.59m) and third in school history in the indoor weight throw (18.84m). He also held Marquette’s freshman record in the outdoor hammer throw (57.03m), a record he set en route to being named the Big East’s Most Outstanding Freshman in 2011.
Hardin graduated from Marquette in 2015 and earned a master’s degree from Alabama in 2016.
