Keli Zinn had a strong first day in Piscataway. The West Virginia native was officially named the next athletic director at Rutgers on Wednesday morning, when the school’s Board of Governors approved a record-setting five-year deal loaded with incentives.

New Rutgers athletics director Keli Zinn said all the right things on Day One. Most importantly, she conveyed an understanding of what Rutgers needs.

Rutgers named Keli Zinn its new athletic director on Wednesday, filling the job after a one-year vacancy. Zinn had been deputy AD and chief operating officer at LSU since 2022 after stops at West Virginia,