Matthew Pope joined the Tennessee Tech University Athletics Department as Associate Director of Athletics for Development in September of 2015.

During his first year, athletics received over $4.3 million in donations, to include a gift-in-kind real estate gift of an established local golf course. Pope has also seen departmental giving triple to over 50 percent, including various sport programs giving 100 percent contributions while cash and stock gifts have exceeded last year’s total by almost $5,000.  

Pope came to Tennessee Tech from Towson University where he served as the Senior Associate Director of Athletics for Finance and Operations. 

While at Towson, Pope had direct oversight of successfully balancing a $22 million budget and supervision of several administrative areas, including Athletic Business, Ticket Operations & The Aspire Group external ticket sales, Towson Sports Properties (OutFront Media Sports, formerly CBS) multi-media rights, Facilities & Game Operations, Equipment Management and Video Services.

Pope also oversaw administration and execution for a $400,000 Under Armour apparel contract as well as contracts for equipment, game, personnel and pouring rights. He was integrally involved in strategic planning and the selection of a sports medicine provider. He supervised the construction phases for a $4M softball complex, a $3.5M Towson Center renovation and a $100,000 renovation of the strength and conditioning center.

Prior to Towson, Pope worked for almost 14 years at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, starting in 2001 as the Assistant Athletics Director for Administration and Business. In 2002 he was promoted to Associate Athletics Director for Internal Operations, Finance and Marketing and promoted again in 2010 to Senior Associate Athletics Director for Administration and Finance. During each of the last eight years at Chattanooga, Pope successfully balanced the department's $14M budget. In 2006, Pope was named interim athletics director upon the retirement of Steve Sloan.

As the Senior Associate Athletics Director at Chattanooga, Pope's primary responsibilities included the oversight and supervision of all departmental fiscal operations. He provided long-range planning and financial forecasting, developed departmental policy, oversaw game and personnel contract executions and provided oversight for the administration of grants-in-aid to student-athletes. He was also the departmental liaison to the UT Board of Trustees as well as other university departments and committees. 

He was the primary administrator for eight sports at Chattanooga, the director of game operations, and oversaw the administrative functions of sports medicine, facilities and operations and athletics performance. 

During his tenure, he was the tournament site director for the annual NCAA Football Championship Series (FCS) National Championship Game at Finley Stadium from 2001-09.  Pope was the tournament manager for the 2010 NCAA Men's Golf Championship at The Honors Course and 2008 NCAA East Regional Men's Golf Championships held at Council Fire.  He chaired the Southern Conference Wrestling committee for nine years and was the 2008 and 2012 Southern Conference Tournament Director, hosted in Chattanooga.
 
Prior to his arrival at Chattanooga, Pope worked for the Athletics Departments at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Western Kentucky University and the University of Arkansas-Little Rock.
 
Pope is a member of the the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) and the National Association of Athletics Development Directors (NAADD).
 
Pope earned a Bachelor of Arts in Physical Education in 1989 and a Master of Arts in Sport Administration in 1994 – both from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.  He is also a graduate of the Sports Management Institute's Executive Program held on the campuses of Notre Dame in 1998 and South Carolina in 1999.
 
A native of Durham, N.C., Pope and his wife, Claudia, also a North Carolina graduate, have a daughter, Anna, and a son, Tyler.