David Sayler
David Sayler has been Miami’s athletic director since Jan. 2, 2013.
Since his arrival, Sayler has preached the mission of “Graduating Champions,” an approach that provides guidance and support (fundraising) to Miami student athletes in the pursuit of excellence both in the classroom (graduate) and on the field (win championships). To that end, Miami was named the winner of the Cartwright Award for 2017-2018 and 2018-19 which is voted on by all MAC institutions and recognizes the best Athletic Department in the conference in the areas of academics, community service and competitive results.
The RedHawks captured both the Reese and Jacoby Trophies, for the top men’s and women’s program in the Mid-American Conference. The RedHawks were also awarded the Cartwright Award for a second straight year and Miami added school records in Coaches of the Year (7) and Players of the Year (10), cementing 2018-19 as one of the greatest single years in Miami Athletics history.
Prior to joining Miami, Sayler served as the Director of Athletics at South Dakota for two years. Among his accomplishments were securing USD’s 2012 membership in the Missouri Valley Football Conference and leading the way for USD’s aggressive Master Facilities Plan, which included new facilities for basketball, outdoor track and field, and soccer. Sayler secured a $20 million private gift, the largest single contribution in South Dakota athletics history.
Prior to joining USD, Sayler served as Senior Executive Athletic Director at Rice University for four years, while also heading the department as Interim Athletic Director from October 2009 to March 2010.
Sayler also has served two years in senior athletic administration at Oregon State University and four years at Bowling Green State University. In addition, he has been an integral part of the athletic staffs at the University of Houston, the University of Hartford, the University of Georgia and the University of Connecticut, where he earned a master’s degree in 1996.
After graduation from Ohio Wesleyan University (1991) with a Bachelor of Arts in Accounting, Sayler worked three years in the private sector, spending time with Ernst & Young in Cleveland and Peterson Consulting in Chicago.
Sayler, born Sept. 6, 1969 in Greenwich, Conn., is married to the former Katie Fitzgerald of Bowling Green, Ohio. The couple has two sons, Connor Jameson and Liam Patrick.
