Ike Ukaegbu (ooo-KAY-boo), a 20-year athletics administrator, joined Utah State in December 2025 as Deputy Director of Athletics/Chief Operating Officer after almost four years as the Deputy Director of Athletics at Washington State.
At Utah State, Ukaegbu serves as the sport administrator for football and men’s basketball, supervises several units, including health, wellness & performance, student-athlete support services, external operations, and the department’s name, image & likeness initiatives. Ukaegbu helped launch the department’s “Show Me” initiative in January 2026, which is a multi-phased campaign aimed at modernizing the athletics department and successfully transitioning into the Pac-12 Conference. The initiative, which establishes clear and ambitious benchmarks for revenue and fan engagement, has already seen significant philanthropic momentum and increased community engagement.
At Washington State, he served as sport administrator for football and men’s basketball and led the sport administration unit responsible for daily oversight of the Cougars’ varsity programs. Additionally, he supervised the sports performance and equipment units, and the department’s name, image, and likeness (NIL) initiatives. Ukaegbu helped lead major facility projects, including the $27 million Taylor Sports Complex (indoor practice facility), and the $12 million Champions Center, which houses academic services, student-athlete development, mental health services, and performance nutrition. He also helped coordinate the $3.3 million renovation of the football locker room and led efforts to raise $750,000 in support of the Rogers Field (football practice field) turf replacement, overseeing the project’s installation in 2023. Ukaegbu served on the football game day experience committee, which focused on enhancing fan experience and included fundraising for facility upgrades such as a new videoboard, LED lighting, sound system, and turf, as well as expanding food and beverage options and game day activities.
Before Washington State, he spent eight years at Texas Christian University (TCU) as Senior Associate Athletics Director for Compliance and a member of the Athletic Director’s Executive Team. He oversaw compliance for 22 sport programs, served as sport administrator for men’s basketball, men’s and women’s swimming and diving, and women’s rifle, and led the department’s NIL initiatives, including facilitating a partnership with the TCU Neeley School of Business and assisting with the creation of the Flying T Club NIL Collective. Additionally, Ukaegbu assisted the Frog Club with donor cultivation and stewardship. In 2020, he received TCU’s Chancellor’s Staff Award, which is the university’s highest tier recognition for a staff member who displays exemplary service and contributions to the university community.
His earlier career included compliance roles at Virginia Commonwealth, Boise State, Cal State Fullerton, American and Florida Atlantic.
Throughout his career, Ukaegbu has participated in leadership development programs, including the NCAA Pathway Program, LEAD1 Fellowship Program and the Collegiate Athletics Leadership Symposium (CALS).
Ukaegbu earned a bachelor’s degree in political science with a minor in pre-law from the University of Arizona and a master’s degree in sports administration from St. Thomas University in Miami, Florida. He and his wife, Katie, have three children: Devin, Rosie, and Spencer.
