J Batt

J Batt was named the 10th full-time director of athletics in Georgia Tech history on Oct. 14, 2022 and officially took the reins of Tech athletics 10 days later, on Oct. 24, 2022. 

In less than two years under Batt’s leadership, Georgia Tech athletics’ impressive achievements include: 

• the highly regarded hires of Georgia Tech alumnus Brent Key as the 21st head coach in Tech football history and former All-American and NBA All-Star Damon Stoudamire as the 15th men’s basketball head coach in school history;
• a historic multi-decade partnership with Hyundai, which will provide transformative revenue for Tech athletics, both in the present and for years to come; 
• two ultra-successful Competitive Drive Initiatives, a pair of two-month fundraising initiatives at the end of 2022 and 2023, both of which shattered their goals in terms of total donors and funds raised and, with matching gifts from the Georgia Tech Foundation, produced a total impact of more than $15 million for Tech student-athletes.

Tech also took a big step towards re-establishing itself as one of college athletics’ premier programs in Batt’s first full year as the Yellow Jackets’ athletics director in 2023-24. Fourteen of  seventeen teams earned a spot in postseason competitions, highlighted by football (which earned its first bowl win since 2016 with a 30-17 victory over Central Florida in the Gasparilla Bowl), golf (which made its second-straight NCAA semifinals appearance) and volleyball (which advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16). Other highlights included thrilling football wins over nationally ranked Miami (Fla.) and North Carolina and men’s basketball victories over Duke, North Carolina, Clemson and Mississippi State.

In the classroom, Georgia Tech’s student-athletes continued to excel academically in 2023-24, highlighted by setting an all-time high for the third-straight year with a 92% NCAA Graduation Success Rate and posting the highest mean grade point average in Tech Athletics history with a 3.25 in the spring 2024 semester.

Batt came to The Flats after serving as executive deputy director of athletics, chief operating officer and chief revenue officer at Alabama for five years (2017-22). He joined Alabama athletics’ administration as senior associate athletics director, was promoted to COO and senior deputy athletic director in 2021 and to executive deputy director, COO and chief revenue officer in 2022.  

At Alabama, he was responsible for guiding revenue generating, including charitable giving, ticketing, Tide Pride, and other revenue sources. Batt oversaw the successful development, implementation, and launch of the Crimson Standard, Alabama Athletics’ 10-year, $600 million capital initiative. He also provided day-to-day leadership of the department as a member of the Athletics executive team and served as the sport administrator for men’s basketball. 

Widely regarded as one of college athletics’ top fundraisers, Batt served as senior associate athletic director and executive director of the Pirate Club at East Carolina from 2013 to 2017. As a member of the ECU athletics executive leadership team, Batt oversaw a development operation that increased total fundraising in 2016 by more than 60% over ECU’s previous best year.  

He also served as associate A.D. and executive director of Maryland’s Terrapin Club from 2011 to 2013. He joined the Terrapin Club staff in 2009 before being promoted to executive director beginning in 2011.  

Before his four-year tenure at Maryland, Batt held positions in athletics fundraising at James Madison, William & Mary and his alma mater, North Carolina. 

A member of the Tar Heels’ 2001 NCAA champion men’s soccer team, Batt earned both a bachelor’s degree in journalism and mass communications and a master’s degree in sports administration from UNC. 

Batt and his wife, Leah, have two sons: Fitz and Graham.