New Virginia Tech athletic director Brian White announced his first hire on Wednesday, July 1, in Ryan Gottlieb.
Gottlieb, who served as one of White's three deputy athletic directors at Florida Atlantic while holding a chief commercial officer title, will be the Hokies' deputy athletic director and chief strategy officer — a newly created role. He will " focus on developing enterprise-wide strategies that enhance revenue opportunities, modernize business operations and position the department for sustained success," according to the release.
"Ryan is one of the most respected and innovative revenue generators in college athletics, and we are thrilled to welcome him and his family to Blacksburg," White said in Tech's release. "His experience building sustainable revenue models, enhancing the fan experience and creating strategic partnerships will be invaluable as we continue positioning Virginia Tech athletics for long-term success. Ryan understands the rapidly evolving landscape of college athletics and brings a unique blend of creativity, strategic vision and operational excellence that aligns perfectly with our ambitions for Hokie Nation."
Gottlieb was hired by FAU in February after spending four years at Colorado, in a position the Owls created specifically for him. He oversaw commercial revenue generation efforts with an emphasis on ticket strategy, sales and service, and managed the athletic department's partnership with Playfly, its multimedia rights partner. (Tech partners with Playfly, too.)
With the Buffaloes, he was the senior associate athletic director and revenue generating officer, which saw a 55 percent increase in operating revenues over his tenure. Annual athletics revenues grew from $90 million to $135 million, and he was key in adding $5 million in football season ticket revenue in 2025.
He also brought 11 major concerts to Folsom Field, Colorado's football stadium, which drew more than 400,000 attendees. Acts included Dead & Company, Tyler Childers, Odesza, Phish and John Summit.
Before that, Gottlieb was at Rutgers for five years. Under his watch, the Scarlet Knights saw four consecutive years of men's basketball season ticket growth and was in the top four nationally in wrestling attendance. It led the nation in average attendance growth for football in 2021, too. He also secured Jersey Mike's as a naming rights partner for the Rutgers Athletics Center.
Gottlieb was previously at Georgia Tech from 2014-17, where he helped the Yellow Jackets set a school record for total ticket revenue in 2015, all while transforming the department's approach to fan engagement. He's a native of Atlanta and graduated from South Carolina in 2009.
"I'm incredibly grateful to Brian White for the opportunity to join Virginia Tech athletics and become part of Hokie Nation," Gottlieb said. "Virginia Tech is committed to investing in athletics and growing resources to create a championship-caliber experience for student-athletes and fans alike. I can’t wait to get to Blacksburg and begin working with our coaches, staff, and supporters to develop new resources that will take Virginia Tech athletics to greater heights."