McIntosh adds deputies to Wisconsin Athletics administration
January 14, 2022 | General News
Sedberry and Pinta will begin duties in February
MADISON, Wis. – Wisconsin Director of Athletics Chris McIntosh has added two deputy athletic directors to his administrative team.
Marcus Sedberry, former senior associate athletic director for student-athlete success at Baylor, and Mitchell Pinta, previously the National Football League's director of business development and partnership management, will join the Wisconsin Athletics management team.
"I could not be more thrilled about bringing two talented people like Marcus and Mitchell to Wisconsin," McIntosh said. "They have both built outstanding careers, they share our values and they will help lead our department into the future by elevating the lives of our student-athletes. They each bring a diverse set of skills and a motivation to build upon what we already have at Wisconsin. I welcome their families to Madison and I can't wait for them to get started."
Sedberry will focus on leading internal operations. He will have responsibility for delivering on the Wisconsin Athletics mission and values as they relate to creating an environment that provides opportunities for student-athletes to continually grow and elevate their lives. This will include oversight of all the areas that are part of Forward 360 as well as facilities, event & guest services and sport administration for a number of our programs.
Pinta will provide leadership for the external facing areas of Badger Athletics, including revenue generation, development, brand marketing, communications and legal affairs. He will focus on building upon the strong foundation of success that is in place today to ensure the department is properly positioned for growth and increased brand engagement in the future.
Sedberry comes to Wisconsin after spending almost five years at Baylor University as a senior associate athletics director. He joined Baylor's staff in May of 2017 and played a critical role in reshaping the strategic direction of the athletics department. During his tenure at Baylor, Sedberry was the sport administrator for football and men's and women's track and field. He also provided oversight of multiple administrative units, led campus integration efforts, and managed name, image, and likeness (NIL) initiatives. His experience at Baylor also included assisting in university fundraising efforts, diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, sport-specific capital projects, and human resource processes. Prior to his time at Baylor, Sedberry spent time at UCF, Arkansas and the Philadelphia Eagles. He was a track and field student-athlete at the University of Nebraska. Sedberry grew up in Texas and he and his wife, Dr. Tai Sedberry, a clinical pharmacist, have two children, MJ (5) and Santana (3).
Pinta has been with the NFL for 14 seasons and has most recently been responsible for securing long-term partnerships with top brands. Pinta, who will leave his post at the conclusion of Super Bowl LVI, has been tasked with identifying brands and building platforms that drive the NFL's overall strategic goals. He and his team have worked to leverage the goals and objectives of brands associated with the NFL through key initiatives, including the NFL's high-profile calendar events such as the NFL Draft and Super Bowl, as well as the league's media properties (Thursday Night Football, NFL Playoffs and NFL Network). Pinta, UW-Madison graduate, is from Boston and married to Jessica Palermo who is a Madison native and currently the Big Ten Conference's vice president, sports data management & analytics. The two will be relocating from New York City to Madison with their 17-month old daughter Gianna ("Joey"). The couple is expecting a second child this spring.
McIntosh also announced that Wisconsin Athletics' assistant athletic director for human resources Craig Hanson will join the department's senior staff. Hanson will focus on culture-building, staff recruitment, retention and engagement strategies. Additionally, Bridget Woodruff, the UW athletic department's assistant athletic director for career and leadership, will move into a new role as assistant athletic director for organizational effectiveness with a focus on creating a culture of organizational excellence that aligns with department strategy.
