Began at Illinois:
August, 2018
Education:
Dr. Russell holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology from the University of Notre Dame, a master’s degree in college student personnel and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in socio-cultural studies in sport from the University of Tennessee. His dissertation involved research into the academic and athletic adjustment to college of first-year student-athletes.
Job Responsibilities:
Dr. Brian Russell has returned to the Illinois Division of Intercollegiate Athletics (DIA), joining DIA's accomplished development team in the newly created position of Chief Hospitality Officer and resuming his role on the DIA executive staff.
Russell will serve as Deputy Chief Development Officer, working alongside Chief Development Officer Howard Milton and the development staff to refine DIA's fundraising strategy and help generate resources for its programs while also supervising a team of major gift officers. As Chief Hospitality Officer, he will have oversight of the premium seating and in-game hospitality experiences offered to Fighting Illini fans, a line of business that generates nearly $10 million annually for DIA.
Past Experience:
Russell rejoins Fighting Illini Athletics after spending the past year in Lincoln, Nebraska, with the Dormie Network. As Dormie's Chief Strategic Partnerships Officer, he planned exclusive, world-class golf experiences for clients.
Prior to the Dormie Network, Russell spent six years at Illinois in various leadership posts, most recently as Senior Associate Athletics Director, Sports Administration and Major Gifts, a joint administration-fundraising position. That followed two-and-a-half years as Senior Associate Athletics Director, Sports Administration and Student-Athlete Development. His sport oversight included the Fighting Illini Men's Basketball, Baseball, Men's Golf, Women's Golf, Soccer, and Wrestling programs. For the last four years of his original tenure at Illinois, Russell was a member of DIA's executive leadership team.
Russell moved into sports administration in November 2020 after spending the previous two-plus years as Associate Athletic Director for Academic Services and Student-Athlete Development, which included a promotion to Senior Associate A.D. during his time leading the academic services unit.
Dr. Russell came to Illinois following a 15-year stint at the University of Tennessee, where he served as the Director of Student-Athlete Academic Support Services, which included oversight of academic counseling and day-to-day academic services for all Tennessee student-athletes. Additionally, Russell was responsible for providing leadership and development to the associate and assistant directors, academic counselors and graduate assistants within the Thornton Center on the UT campus.
As Associate Director, Russell led the football division that had oversight of academic support and development of football student-athletes, and as assistant director, he oversaw the Programs and Services area including the Thornton Center’s tutorial assistance program, the Maximizing Academic Potential (MAP) program for student-athletes with learning, psychological and physical disabilities, the Achieving Classroom Excellence (ACE) program for at-risk student-athletes, the math and writing labs, programming for high achievers, and the PREGAME summer bridge program for new student-athletes.
Personal:
A native of Lakeville, Indiana, Russell is a member of the National Association of Academic Advisors for Athletics (N4A) and has held leadership positions within the National Academic Advising Association (NACADA) including serving as a member of the Board of Directors and as Chair of the NCAA Advisory Board. Within N4A, Russell serves on the Board of Directors and as Region Director of Region 3.
Dr. Russell resides in Mahomet with his wife, Jenna, and their sons Benjamin and Alexander.
Updated August 2025
