OMAHA, Neb. – Vice Chancellor / Director of Athletics Adrian Dowell announced the hiring of Matt Maher, Wednesday afternoon. Maher will serve as the executive associate athletic director of internal affairs starting in July.
 
Maher will provide leadership of strategic internal operational units and business functions including business and finance, human resources, sport administration, risk management, insurance, travel, and equipment, while also serving as the liaison with the office of general counsel.
 
"We are excited to welcome Matt back home to Omaha and UNO," said Dowell. "Matt is one of the most accomplished and effective administrators in the Summit League. He delivers a wealth of relevant experience in the industry from his tenures at SDSU, NCAA, and previously at Omaha.
 
"We are excited to see his impact on our institution as we continue to build a strategic and efficient operation to effectively position our Maverick student-athletes and coaches for competitive success."

Maher comes to Omaha following a six-year stint at South Dakota State as the senior associate athletic director for administration.
 
With the Jackrabbits, Maher handled day-to-day operations of the athletic department, including overseeing the business office, sports medicine, strength and conditioning, strategic plannings, and special projects.
 
He was the primary athletics liaison for the campus and community and also served as the sport administrator for the men's basketball, wrestling, and volleyball teams at SDSU.
 
"I would like to thank Adrian for the opportunity to return to Omaha," said Maher. "My career began at the university almost 15 years ago and with the significant changes occurring in college athletics, there is no better time to be a Maverick. I look forward to working with Omaha's coaches and staff as we develop a clear vision for the future of Omaha Athletics."
 
Prior to SDSU, Maher spent eight years at the NCAA national office. He served multiple roles with the organization. Most recently, Maher served as associate director of academic and membership affairs. In that role, Maher managed the student-athlete reinstatement process, which involved risk assessment and strategic management of cases with complex legislative matters and significant media attention.
 
Maher was also involved in managing and facilitating membership engagement on numerous Division I governance issues and committees. This work included coordinating the activities of and providing support to the following NCAA groups: Division I Council, Division I Student-Athlete Experience Committee, Division I Committee on Student-Athlete Reinstatement and Division I Committee on Institutional Performance. Maher provided guidance involving policies related to amateurism and agent issues, recruiting concepts, cost of attendance, student-athlete well-being issues and strategic planning.
 
Before beginning with the NCAA, Maher worked in the compliance offices at Nebraska, Creighton, and Omaha.
 
The Omaha native earned his Bachelor of Science in finance from Nebraska in 2005 and his Juris Doctorate in 2008 from Nebraska Law.