Kathy Twist to serve as interim director of athletics

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Kathy Twist, a senior administrator in the University at Buffalo Athletics Department, will serve as interim director of athletics beginning Jan. 29, UB President Satish K. Tripathi announced today.

Twist will serve as interim AD until a permanent successor to Allen Greene is named. Greene was named the new athletic director at Auburn University last week.

UB will launch a national search soon for Greene’s replacement.

“I am grateful to Kathy for her willingness to serve in this important role in an interim capacity, and I extend my thanks and appreciation to Allen and the entire Athletics Department for their continuing commitment to our university’s vision of excellence,” Tripathi said.

“Thanks in large part to Allen’s strong leadership, we are very well positioned to attract outstanding candidates in this national search,” he said.

Twist has served as UB’s senior associate athletic director for sport administration and senior woman administrator since 2012. In this role, Twist served as the sports supervisor for men’s tennis, women’s soccer, men’s and women’s track and field, men’s and women’s cross country, women’s volleyball and softball.

In addition, she was responsible for gender equity, diversity and inclusion within the Department of Athletics.

Earlier this month, UB Athletics received the NCAA and Minority Opportunities Athletics Association’s 2018 Award for Diversity and Inclusion, a recognition of the department’s impactful initiatives aimed at creating an inclusive environment in athletics, on campus and in the community.

Prior to her administrative post, she served one year as assistant coach for UB’s men’s tennis team and 16 years as head coach for the women’s tennis team. With 136 career dual-match wins, Twist is the winningest coach in the program’s history.

Under her coaching, the women’s tennis team won the 2008 postseason Mid-American Conference Championship — the Bulls’ first MAC title in any sport — and made their first appearance in the NCAA Tournament. Twist was named MAC’s Coach of the Year in 2006.

A dedicated UB citizen, Twist has served on numerous university-level committees over the years. A Buffalo native, she is also very active in the community, serving as a member of the Sports Advisory Council for the Buffalo Niagara Sports Commission.