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Biography
Maggie McKinley joined the University of Cincinnati staff in 2001 and currently serves as the Deputy Director of Athletics and the department's Senior Woman Administrator.
As a member of the Director of Athletics’ Executive Team, McKinley leads the internal unit, works with all 18 Bearcat programs as the senior sports administrator, provides strategic direction on departmental initiatives, enhancement of athletic performance and competitive success, student-athlete welfare, and policy development and implementation. She has oversight of Internal Affairs, including the Projects, Facilities & Event Management, and Compliance & Administration departments. She also is involved with the Name Image Likeness (NIL) program (IMPACT) to assist in the creation and connection of NIL opportunities for all Bearcat student-athletes and the Sport Administrator Development Program to develop and prepare staff members for future sport administrator opportunities.
During her tenure, McKinley has directly supervised several sport programs during their greatest periods of competitive success in recent years. This includes overseeing the Football program during back-to-back undefeated regular seasons and consecutive berths in New Year’s Six bowl games, including the first ever selection of a Group of Five team to the College Football Playoff. The volleyball program advanced to its first Sweet 16 in the NCAA tournament and Women’s Basketball’s participating in multiple postseasons and signing the top-rated recruiting class in program history in 2025. McKinley was instrumental in national searches for coaches that have led their teams to conference championships and/or postseason berths in the sports of Football, Women’s Basketball, Men’s & Women’s Track & Field, Men’s & Women’s Swimming & Diving and Baseball, including the first individual NCAA Champion in the Women’s Track & Field history.
On a national level, McKinley served on the NCAA Division I Council from 2016-2021. Her expertise led to an appointment on the Council Coordination Committee (3C) and as Chair of the NCAA Legislative Committee during a time of significant change, including time-sensitive pandemic-related adjustments, Name, Image Likeness, and Uniform Transfer legislation. In 2021, she served on NCAA DI Board of Directors Infractions Process Committee. In 2025, she was appointed to a four-year term on the NCAA DI Sport Oversight Committee.
In addition to her service on NCAA governance committees, McKinley was elected to the Women Leaders in Sports Nominating Committee in 2020 and upon completion of her term transitioned to serving on the Awards Committee. Since entering the Big 12 conference in 2023, she has received appointments to the Big 12 Nominating committee, Sport Sponsorship committee and serves as a liaison to the Game Managers Administrative group. Prior to entry into the Big 12, she served as the Chair of the AAC SWA committee and as a member of the AAC AD Executive Committee. Her past service also includes stints on the National Association for Athletics Compliance (NAAC) Strategic Initiatives and Communication’s committees and Women Leaders in Sports Foundation Fund and Membership committees.
On campus, McKinley currently serves on the Capital Advisory Committee to maintain institutional health via reviewing and prioritizing the University’s resources and investments and as a Deputy Title IX Coordinator. She serves as the department liaison to several units, including the Office of General Counsel and Student Affairs. She previously served the institution as a member of the University's Bias Incident Response Team and Enterprise Risk Management Risk Council. Within the department, she is an active member of the One Team committee, and previously served as the advisor for UC's Student-Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC).
McKinley has received national, regional and local recognition for her leadership including the Women Leaders in Sports DI FBS Administrator of the Year, the American Council on Education Women’s Network Ohio Excellence in Higher Education Leadership Award and the Cincinnati USA Women’s Sports Association Mary Jo Huisman Administrator of the Year.
Locally, McKinley has partnered with other Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky institutions to relaunch the Cincinnati USA Women’s Sports Association in 2021 to support, celebrate and recognize girls and women in sports in the region.
She is a graduate of the FBS Athletics Directors Association (formerly LEAD1) Athletic Directors' Institute, the Fiesta Bowl Path to the Summit and the Women Leaders in Sports Institute for Administrative Advancement, Leadership Enhancement Institute and Executive Institute. She has served as a speaker and panelist for institutes, NCAA Conventions and NACDA affiliates.
A native of Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, McKinley spent four years at Cincinnati as a women's track and field student-athlete from 1996-2000 as she earned her bachelor's degree in psychology. She earned her M.Ed. in Sports Administration at Xavier in 2001 and served as an adjunct professor in the same program for 15 years.
PERSONAL
| Hometown | Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio |
| Family | Spouse: Dubravka McKinley-Maric |
| Education | B.A. in Psychology (Cincinnati, 2000) ME.d. in Sports Administration (Xavier, 2001) |
ACCOLADES
| 2018: Women Leaders in College Sports NCAA Division I FBS Administrator of the Year |
| 2019: Mary Jo Huismann Administrator of the Year Award |
| 2019: American Council on Education Women’s Network Ohio Excellence in Higher Education Leadership Award |
COMMITTEE WORK
| Past Member, NCAA Division I Council |
| Past Member, NCAA Division I Board of Directors Infractions Process Committee |
| Member, NCAA Division I Sport Oversight Committee |
| Member, NCAA DI Transfer Portal Advisory Group |
| Member, Women Leaders in Sports Awards Committee |
| Member, Big 12 Nominating Committee |
| Liaison, Big 12 Game Managers |