A 21-year veteran of the Notre Dame athletics department, Maureen McNamara was promoted to assistant athletics director in August 2009. Six years prior to that she served as director, and then executive director of the athletics external affairs division. In May 2010, her position was expanded to include additional management responsibilities above and beyond overseeing the division and all aspects of its three signature programs: the Rockne Heritage Fund, the Director's Circle recognition society and the Joyce Grants-in-Aid program. In addition, Maureen raises funds for athletics capital projects, and acts as liaison to the University's central development office. She plays an integral role in strategic planning and implementation for the Irish athletics external affairs division in collaboration with Deputy Director of Athletics, Bill Scholl.
McNamara serves as the sport administrator for the men's and women's varsity fencing programs, working with head coach Janusz Bednarski and three assistant coaches.
Prior to being named director of external affairs, McNamara served six years as manager, and then director of corporate relations and the University's summer sports camp program, that featured more than 7,000 participants. In September 2000, she organized, coordinated and hosted 55 corporate parties and more than 10,000 guests prior to the Notre Dame-Nebraska football game at Notre Dame Stadium. During that same time period, she served as the athletics department's liaison to NBC Sports.
She first joined the University as assistant women's tennis coach in January 1990. During her coaching tenure, the 1996 Irish finished sixth in the country, the program's first top-10 final ranking since it was elevated to NCAA Division I status. She also spent two of those coaching years earning her master's degree from Notre Dame's Mendoza College of Business, graduating magna cum laude in 1996.
A native of Peoria, IL, McNamara held two corporate positions in the five years prior to her arrival on campus. She was employed by Xerox Corporation and Abbott Laboratories in Chicago. Graduating from the University of Illinois with a degree in business administration, Maureen earned four varsity letters in tennis, was voted most valuable player as a junior and senior, and held the school wins record for both men's and women's teams. In 1992, she was voted to the University of Illinois' Women's Tennis Team of the Decade by former and current Illini athletes in all sports.
