Dr. Holly Sheilley is in first year as Executive Director of Athletics at UMSL. She brings more than two decades of experience in college athletics administration with her to the position.
Sheilley has spent the past 11 years as the vice president for athletics and director of athletics at Transylvania, an NCAA Division III university in Lexington, Kentucky. There, she oversaw a department with 23 NCAA-sponsored teams and three club teams along with a staff of 42 full-time employees, 10 part-time coaches and athletic personnel and more than 450 student-athletes.
Under her leadership, Transylvania has ranked in the top 55 in the Learfield Director’s Cup standings each of the past two years after a top-50 finish in 2019. It sent seven teams to the NCAA Tournament in the 2023-24 academic year. That included a second straight Final Four appearance by the women’s basketball team, which captured the first women’s basketball national championship in school history in 2023.
Sheilley was able to grow operational revenue during her time at Transylvania through strategic financial planning and launching initiatives that increased facility rentals, corporate sponsorships and ticket sales. She worked with university advancement and marketing and communications staff to boost fundraising and increase alumni engagement. She also was instrumental in striking a 20-year deal with a minor league baseball team that allowed the university to use the team’s facilities for practice and all home games.
She has extensive experience in compliance, facilities development, event management and strategic enrollment.
Sheilley spent eight years at the University of Louisville, including four as the assistant compliance coordinator before taking over as the assistant athletic director for championships and student development. In the latter role, she was responsible for developing and managing the process for bidding and hosting championships for 23 sports, including budgeting, marketing and collaborating with Greater Louisville Sports Commission.
She left Louisville in May 2010 to become the assistant director of championships for the NCAA, where she managed four Division I championships – in cross country, indoor track and field, outdoor track and field and rowing – and five Division III championships – in cross country, football, indoor track and field, women’s basketball and outdoor track and field.
During her tenure at Transylvania, Sheilley spent three years as the vice president for enrollment and student life alongside her athletic responsibilities.
She also has been active on a number of NCAA committees and boards, including as a member of the NCAA Minority Opportunities and Interests Committee, the NCAA Board of Governors and the NCAA Division III Presidents Council and the chair of the NCAA Division III Management Council.
Sheilley earned a bachelor’s degree in physical education with a minor in health education from Asbury University in Wilmore, Kentucky. She received a master’s degree in health education at Eastern Kentucky University, and she completed a PhD at the University of Louisville in sport administration in 2004.
