In the evolving name, image and likeness (NIL) and revenue-sharing era of college sports, Stanford Athletics is investing in its front office. 

The University is set to hire Tyler Jones, Virginia’s deputy athletic director, as its next chief operating officer of athletics and deputy athletic director. ESPN’s Pete Thamel broke the news on X on Monday. 

According to Thamel, Jones will “oversee all the revenue generation and operations functions” at Stanford. In the role, he will report directly to Jaquish & Kenninger Director of Athletics John Donahoe MBA ’86.

Jones will arrive at Stanford after three years at Virginia serving as deputy AD. In July 2025, he was promoted to chief strategy officer who oversaw the athletic department’s revenue generation, and he was also named general manager of Virginia’s football and women’s basketball programs. He helped turn around the football program, which finished the 2025 season with an 11-3 record — the most wins in program history — following a 5-7 campaign just a year prior.

The hire comes seven months after Donahoe assumed the AD role, bringing to Stanford extensive experience in corporate management as former CEO of Nike, eBay and Bain & Company. At the time, Donahoe’s appointment marked a broader shift toward executive-style leadership amid the modernization of college athletics.

The Cardinal football and basketball programs, however, continue to lag behind. Football only finished 4-8 in the 2025 season, a marginal improvement over its four-straight 3-9 campaigns under former head coach Troy Taylor. The men’s basketball program has not reached the March Madness tournament since 2014.

Women’s basketball also now faces a roster exodus, with six players entering the transfer portal following another rocky season in the ACC. Jones will be expected to support Donahoe in keeping Stanford competitive in the increasingly complex and professionalized college athletics landscape.