New Virginia Tech athletic director Brian White announced his third hire on Tuesday in Mary Giardina, who will serve as the Hokies' deputy athletic director and chief of staff.
According to Tech's release, she'll be on White's executive leadership team, "overseeing strategic initiatives and day-to-day operations while partnering closely with White to advance the department's priorities, strengthen organizational alignment and enhance the student-athlete experience."
Giardina comes to Blacksburg from Morgantown, where she was hired in January as West Virginia's executive senior associate athletic director and oversaw the student-athlete experience, governance and compliance. Before that, she spent seven years on White's staff at Florida Atlantic.
"Mary is one of the most talented, trusted and respected leaders I've had the privilege to work alongside," White said in the release. "She is an exceptional strategist, an outstanding relationship builder and someone who leads with integrity, accountability and a relentless commitment to people. We accomplished a great deal together at Florida Atlantic, and I've seen firsthand how her leadership elevates an entire department.
"As we continue building the future of Virginia Tech athletics, there is no one I trust more to help lead our staff, support our coaches and create an environment where our student-athletes can thrive."
Prior to her stint at West Virginia, Giardina was the Owls' deputy AD, head administrator, chief of staff and SWA (senior woman administrator). She started in Boca Raton in 2018 as a senior associate athletic director of compliance and FAU's SWA before being promoted to an administration role in 2019.
At Florida Atlantic, Giardina oversaw human resources, sports medicine, strength & conditioning and Title IX. She also monitored the day-to-day operations of the Owls' 19 varsity sports and was the sport administrator for football, women's basketball and baseball.
She's familiar with the ACC, too. Giardina holds a bachelor's degree from Wake Forest, where she was a student-athlete in track & field, and a master's degree from Duke, where she worked for Brian White's dad, Kevin, the school's athletic director from 2008-21.
She got her start as a compliance assistant with the Blue Devils and was also an assistant director of sports information. Giardina eventually moved to the ACC headquarters, where she served as the conference's director of compliance, before returning to Durham as Duke's executive director of compliance. She worked with coaches on monitoring NCAA rules and managed the process of NCAA and ACC compliance reporting.
"I'm incredibly honored and grateful to join Brian and the Virginia Tech family," Giardina said in the release. "Virginia Tech has a proud tradition, an incredibly passionate fan base and a clear vision for where this department is headed. Having worked alongside Brian, I know the standard of excellence he expects and the culture he builds. I'm excited to help support our coaches and staff, serve our student-athletes and contribute to a championship-caliber experience in every aspect of Hokie athletics."
She's the third addition to White's executive leadership team, joining Ryan Gottlieb (deputy AD, chief strategy officer), with whom she worked at FAU, and Brad Bell (executive associate AD of advancement, executive director of Hokie Club).