Lott comes to Otterbein with experience as an athletic administrator, scholar, coach, and athlete.

Otterbein University is pleased to announce that Gregory Lott, Ph.D., has been named its new athletic director. Lott comes to Otterbein from Denison University, where he most recently served as director of the Knetzer Family Institute for Development through Sport, associate director of athletics, and assistant professor of health, exercise, and sport studies. Lott will join the Cardinals community in August.  

“I have been blown away by the welcoming community at Otterbein. It is clear that the University is a special place, one that values the integral part sport can play in the holistic education of its students. There are exciting things happening all around campus, providing great potential for athletics to partner with many for the betterment of all students,” Lott said. 

“Greg Lott brings a unique combination of skills and experiences to Otterbein,” said President John Comerford. “He has a background in administration and academics and has extensive experience as an athlete and coach. As a leader, he understands how to collaborate toward the shared institutional goal of developing successful student-athletes. He has a record of accomplishment in building new programs that focus on the holistic well-being of students and will add value to the Student Affairs team.” 

As an athletics administrator, Lott has a record of success in managing sport operations, with direct supervision of Division III teams. Otterbein is an NCAA Division III school. Academically, he has taught courses in leadership development and sport psychology and has conducted research into emotional intelligence and mental health of student-athletes.  

He has been a head coach at the NCAA Division III level and assistant coach at the Division I and III levels and has coached a national champion and many individual and team conference champions. His coaching credits include Army-West Point, The National Training Center, Valparaiso University, and Buffalo State College. He was also the head coach for men’s and women’s cross country and track and field at the United States Merchant Marine Academy. Currently, he is chair of the NCAA Coach Enhancement Grant Selection Committee. 

Additionally, Lott understands the Division III student-athlete experience through his time with track and field at Dickinson College where he was a team captain, All-American, and eventual Hall of Famer. He went on to compete as a professional track athlete on the European Circuit and with Team USA at the International Freedom and Friendship Games.  

“Throughout the hiring process, Greg continued to display a vision of being an impactful partner for our faculty, staff and coaches while not only striving to boost the student-athlete experience but enhancing our competitive excellence,” said Women’s Basketball Head Coach Diana Noles, a member of the hiring committee. “His past success as an athlete and currently as associate athletic director provides him with the insight needed to take our program to the next level.” 

“The tradition in the department of athletics is special. I noticed so much passion in our exceptional group of coaches and administrators — pride for where they have been and excitement about where we can go. I am humbled to join the team as we strive to enhance the organizational culture, the student-athlete experience, and the competitive result,” Lott said. 

In January, Lott began serving as one of 29 Global Mentors selected from countries around the world for the True Athlete Project, a uniquely holistic athlete development program based out of the U.K. that connects aspiring elite-level young athletes with current/former world-class athletes and coaches. The program uses mindfulness, mental skills training, mentoring, and more to nurture mental wellbeing and improve performance of athletes.  

Currently, Lott is in the United Kingdom working with British Gymnastics, where he is leading a coach development program and partnering with the True Athlete Project on work with British Gymnastics’s leadership and gymnastic team members. 

Lott has a doctorate degree in kinesiology, focusing on sport management and higher education, from The Ohio State University; master’s degree in sport administration from Canisius College, NY; and bachelor’s degree in international business and management, Dickinson College, PA. He has numerous publications and is a sought-after speaker both in the U.S. and abroad.  

He serves as chair of the Board of Trustees for the Granville Recreation District and is a member of the Coach Development Team for Sport Coach America. Lott has two sons, Trevor and Cameron. His wife, Melanie, is an associate professor of physics at Denison University. 

Lott said he is looking forward to beginning his work at Otterbein in August. “I am so appreciative of the opportunity afforded to me by Otterbein senior leadership and the search committee. It’s great to be a Cardinal!”