Report: Georgia Tech Expected To Hire Tennessee Deputy AD Ryan Alpert As Its Next Athletic Director

Alpert comes from a notable SEC program, the Tennessee Volunteers. He served as the deputy athletic director and chief operating officer for the Volunteers for the past four seasons. There, he managed the Neyland Entertainment District, business and finance, capital projects, data analytics and information technology. 

Tennessee Vice Chancellor/Director of Athletics Danny White spoke very highly of Alpert during his time with the program. 

"Ryan is truly one of the rising stars in our profession. I couldn't be more excited to add him to a talented, competitive administrative team that is committed to building a bold and bright future for Tennessee Athletics. I'm thrilled to welcome the Alpert family to Rocky Top,” said White. 

Here is a little bit more from his Tennessee Bio: 

“Ryan Alpert joined the Tennessee Athletics executive leadership team as Deputy Athletics Director/Chief Operating Officer in August of 2021. In November of 2023, Alpert transitioned to the role of Deputy Athletics Director of Championship Resources/Chief Revenue Officer.

"Alpert was appointed as the Senior Deputy Athletics Director and Chief Revenue Officer in November of 2024. In this position, he spearheads the department’s revenue generation strategies and works to enhance its financial sustainability. With a focus on maximizing resources, Alpert will oversee a variety of critical functions that contribute to the athletics program's overall success."

“During his tenure on Rocky Top, Alpert provided direct oversight of all the external and revenue-generating units for Tennessee Athletics.”

“For the third consecutive year, the Tennessee Fund had an all-time and record-breaking fundraising year during the 2024 fiscal year (FY24) and played an integral role in the historic University of Tennessee Foundation campus fundraising total of $332 million. The Tennessee Fund accounted for $139.7 million during FY24, the best year of athletics fundraising in school history.”

“The cumulative effect of the revenue initiatives has led Tennessee Athletics to its highest-ever operating revenue of over $200 million in FY23. The FY24 operating revenue soared north of $220 million to set another new benchmark in UT athletics history. Over the last for years the revenue growth has led to nearly $100 million in self-generated revenue growth.”

After the news of Georgia Tech's interim athletic director Jon Palumbo leaving to join J Batt at Michigan State, the Yellow Jackets moved quickly to bring in their next AD. Here is more on some of the things Palumbo did during his time with the Yellow Jackets per our own Jackson Caudell. 

“In addition, Palumbo oversaw event operations and fan engagement strategies, including the successful launch of the Helluva Block Party, which quickly became a signature gameday tradition along North Avenue in Atlanta. He has also played a critical role in strategic coaching hires, including Brent Key as head football coach, Damon Stoudamire as head men’s basketball coach, and Karen Blair as head women’s basketball coach. Prior to arriving at Georgia Tech, Palumbo served as the director of Athletics at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.” 

Another interesting note about this hire is that the Yellow Jackets and Volunteers will play a home-and-home series starting in 2026 and going through 2027. Georgia Tech will host Tennessee in 2026, and the Yellow Jackets will travel to Neyland Stadium in 2027. Alpert will get to see his former school starting next year. The Yellow Jackets are getting an innovative mind and one that is extremely astute when handling finance, fundraising and initiatives that are valuable to a program’s success.