University of Northern Iowa Athletics
Staff Directory
- Title:
- Director of Athletics
- Email:
Megan Franklin was named the University of Northern Iowa's ninth Director of Athletics in May 2024, bringing over a decade of athletic administrative experience in the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) to Cedar Falls.
The Lincoln, Nebraska native previously served over a decade as Senior Associate Athletics Director – Strategic Initiatives and External Operations/Senior Woman Administrator at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, where she was selected for the role of Interim Athletics Director in 2017.
In Franklin's first year as UNI's Athletic Director, the Panthers celebrated a breakout year with MVC championships won in volleyball and men's indoor track and field, as well as a second-place finish in the MVC's All-Sports Trophy race, and the highest finish by any MVC institution in the LEARFIELD Director's Cup. Bobbi Petersen (volleyball), Doug Schwab (wrestling), Bethany Hovland (diving), Dave Paulsen (track & field) and Jeff Coover (assistant track & field) all earned MVC Coach of the Year honors, with Schwab also being recognized as the NWCA National Coach of the Year, leading UNI wrestling to a top-ten finish at the NCAA Championships. Swimmer Olivia Chambers became UNI's first-ever Paralympic medalist with one gold and two silver medals won at the 2024 Paralympics in Paris, with heptathlete Carter Morton earning All-American honors at the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships and two wrestlers earning All-American status as well (Parker Keckeisen, Cael Happel). Both basketball programs qualified for national postseason tournaments with the NIT and WBIT, as the Panther women's hoops team recorded its first top-ten win in program history with a home upset over No. 8 Iowa State. 
Several records fell during Franklin's first year of leadership, including the most attended wrestling dual in McLeod Center history against Iowa State (7,348 fans), along with 512 TC's Kids Club members and over $1.3 million raised for student-athlete scholarships by the Panther Scholarship Club (PSC). Academically, Northern Iowa recognized a record five College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-Americans, along with two MVC Scholar-Athletes of the Year (Tytan Anderson, men's basketball / Kira Fallert, volleyball) and two MVC Elite 18 Award winners (Faith Larsen, swimming & diving / Fallert). UNI ended the 2024-25 academic year with just over 52% of its student-athlete population boasting a cumulative grade-point average over 3.50. A full recap of Franklin's first year as Athletic Director can be found HERE.
In her role at Drake, she worked with community leaders and Catch Des Moines on plans to host NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament contests in 2019 and 2023. A key community partner in metropolitan Des Moines, Franklin played an integral role in the initial concepts of an on-campus soccer stadium. Mediacom Stadium forged a unique partnership between a corporate partner, Drake and Des Moines Public Schools. In addition to serving as the home field for Drake's soccer programs, the facility has hosted a myriad of competitions and events for middle and high-school students in the Des Moines district after opening in 2023.
"We are extremely pleased to welcome Megan to the University of Northern Iowa," Nook said. "Megan has been a key contributor to the renaissance of Drake Athletics in recent years. Her understanding of the NCAA Division I landscape and the Missouri Valley Conference will be immediately beneficial to Panther Athletics. Her longstanding commitment to student-athlete success stood out among a field of very strong candidates.
"Megan's vision of how UNI Athletics can compete for championships, while bolstering the profile of our entire university impressed me and the rest of our search committee," Nook continued. "We are excited for our entire campus community to meet her, as well as our passionate Panther fans and alumni."
"I appreciate President Nook and Panthers everywhere for entrusting me with the responsibility of serving as UNI's Director of Athletics," Franklin said. "UNI's rich tradition of success in the athletics arena, in the classroom and as a key community partner were appealing for me. The signature of Panther Athletics is the people from the winningest coaching cohort in the Missouri Valley Conference to administrative professional staff who have dedicated their professions to the betterment of UNI student-athletes. As I visited campus and engaged with President Nook, his leadership team and coaches and staff, it simply confirmed many of the reasons that I have admired UNI from afar for many years. I am excited to get to Cedar Falls to build on the legacies in the Athletics Director chair of the individuals before me. Go Panthers!"
A familiar face in the Missouri Valley Conference, Franklin was charged with handling sport administrator duties for 15 sports at Drake, including the habitually successful women's basketball program that claimed five conference titles and made five NCAA Tournament appearances during her tenure. She also hired current Drake head football coach Todd Stepsis, who was the 2023 Pioneer Football League and AFCA FCS Regional Coach of the Year.
Franklin's other notable head coaching hires at Drake have included volleyball head coach Darrin McBroom who inherited a program that had posted six consecutive losing seasons and has since transformed the Bulldogs into a squad that has finished second in the Missouri Valley Conference two of the past three years. Franklin hired Pat Flinn to guide the Drake men's soccer program in 2022. Flinn and his assistants earned Missouri Valley Conference Staff of the Year honors after elevating the Bulldogs to a second-place conference finish after being tabbed last in the preseason poll. She also hired women's golf head coach Steve Smith, who in 2022 guided the Bulldogs to their highest finish in the MVC tournament in over a decade.
Under her supervision, the Drake women's tennis team won the MVC title in 2023 under head coach Breaunna Addison, who Franklin had hired the previous year. The men's tennis program at Drake also claimed 2022 and 2023 Summit League titles and advanced to NCAA competition. Franklin also served as the sport supervisor for Drake's rowing program during her tenure in Des Moines.
Franklin arrived at Drake following a nine-year stint working in the Virginia Tech Athletics Department. During her time with the Hokies she played an integral role in coordinating recovery and support efforts following the horrific shooting that claimed 32 lives on the Blacksburg campus in April 2007. She also worked as the Director of Student Life within the Athletics department to further the personal and academic development of all Virginia Tech student-athletes. She began her professional career serving as an academic counselor in Athletics at the University of Nebraska.
Franklin earned her bachelor's degree in Community Health Education at the University of Nebraska and later received a master's degree in Educational Administration specializing in student affairs from Nebraska. She owns a PhD in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies from Virginia Tech.
UNI DIRECTORS OF ATHLETICS
- L.L. Mendenhall | 1921-60
- Dr. James Witham | 1960-70
- Stan Sheriff | 1970-83
- Robert Bowlsby | 1984-91
- Christopher Ritrievi | 1992-99
- Rick Hartzell | 1999-08
- Troy Dannen | 2008-16
- David Harris | 2016-24
- Megan Franklin | 2024-present
WHAT THEY'RE SAYING
"Megan Franklin is the right person at the right time to serve as the Director of Athletics at the University of Northern Iowa. I firmly believe that she is well equipped to embrace the challenges and opportunities that come along with this role. I know our talented coaches, support staff and student-athletes will appreciate Megan's style and her commitment to elevating all of our programs to greater heights. I would ask that Panthers everywhere, the entire UNI community and the Cedar Valley join me in enthusiastically supporting Megan as she helps usher in an exciting time for UNI Athletics."
-Bob Bowlsby, UNI Athletics & Missouri Valley Conference Hall of Fame Inductee
“Northern Iowa has selected an exemplary leader for its athletics department in Megan Franklin. I have come to know Megan through a variety of leadership opportunities and interactions that have clearly demonstrated to me the principled values and integrity that guide her in our field of college athletics administration. Making a difference in the lives of student-athletes and providing sound guidance to her coaches and staff will undoubtedly be a focus as she leads the Panthers in the years ahead. Congratulations and best of luck to Megan and Northern Iowa.”
-Mike Bobinski, Executive Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics, Purdue University
"I want to congratulate the University of Northern Iowa on selecting Megan Franklin as its next athletic director. Megan embodies the essence of what it means to be a great administrator. She puts student-athlete success first and will support all of her coaches and staff in winning on the fields of play. She also brings the ability to connect with fans, donors and those in Cedar Falls and the state of Iowa."
-Warde Manuel, Director of Athletics, University of Michigan
“I think the world of Megan Franklin. I believe she is an excellent choice for UNI. She is passionate, very smart and driven to do what is right for the student-athletes. This is a tremendous hire by UNI.”
-Trev Alberts, Director of Athletics, Texas A&M University
“This is a fantastic opportunity for Megan, and I am thrilled for her and for UNI. The sustained level of excellence we are developing in the classroom, competition and community at Drake has been a team effort, of which Megan has been an integral member. I have no doubt she will significantly influence Panther Athletics, the University of Northern Iowa, and the Cedar Valley."
-Brian Hardin, Director of Athletics, Drake University
“I love UNI and think the world of the people that work here. Megan’s coming in with just the fresh ideas. She knows the people that are here. She values the success that they've had, the values of this institution, the family atmosphere. She's just gonna come in with a different set of skills from a variety of other institutions and apply that here.”
-Christina Roybal, Vice President/Director of Athletics, Northern Kentucky University
“It was great to support the University of Northern Iowa on their search for a new Director of Athletics. Congratulations to Megan Franklin, who has built a great reputation in the Missouri Valley Conference and the state of Iowa during her tenure at Drake.”
-Kyle Bowlsby, Founder and President, Bowlsby Sports Advisors
