Mitch VanSumeren serves as the Deputy Director of Athletics, where he leads the department’s external operations and advancement initiatives. An entrepreneurial, solutions-driven leader, VanSumeren oversees Embry-Riddle Athletics’ three external pillars: building the brand, driving revenue, and increasing engagement.
Since joining Embry-Riddle in 2020, he has played a pivotal role in the launch of the Athletics Strategic Plan, TogethER We Win, and has advanced major revenue-generating and engagement efforts, including corporate partnerships, ticket sales, marketing, communications, fan experience, video production, and creative services. Under his leadership, the department has achieved a 392% increase in corporate partnership revenue, a 34% rise in average event attendance, and significant growth across social and digital platforms.
Administratively, VanSumeren oversees Embry-Riddle women's basketball, volleyball, men's lacrosse, men's golf, and men's/women's tennis.
Prior to Embry-Riddle, VanSumeren had stops with Learfield at the University of Michigan, where he managed a $1.9 million book of business, the Tampa Bay Lightning, and the University of South Florida, as well as an internship with Embry-Riddle Athletics during the 2015-2016 season.
A former college football coach at Stetson University, VanSumeren’s career is grounded in a deep passion for student-athlete development and well-being. He is an active member of the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics and serves on multiple local sports and advertising committees within the Daytona Beach community.
VanSumeren earned his MBA in Sport Business from the University of South Florida and a BBA in Management and Sport Business from Stetson University. In 2023, he was recognized among the Daytona Beach News-Journal’s “40 Under Forty.”
