A new era of Robert Morris athletics will be ushered in after Vice President and Director of Athletics Chris King resigned his position on Monday morning.
King, a 1994 Robert Morris graduate, returned to his alma mater in 2019 after serving as the AD at Texas Rio Grande Valley for 10 years. In 2018, King was one of three directors awarded the NACDA Under Armour Division I-AAA Athletic Director of the Year Award.
Prior to his tenure at UTRGV, the Apollo native spent time at UCF and the University of Alabama in their prestigious NCAA Division I athletic departments.
Robert Morris Athletics saw strong success under King’s ideas to build a strong student-athlete experience. Between producing 10 tournament champions and setting a record high academic progress rate of 990 in just seven years, Chris King spearheaded the development of student-athletes in both athletic and academic excellence.
The former AD moved forward with a competitive switch in the school’s athletics through conference transitions as well. Most of Robert Morris’s sports teams moved to the Horizon League under King, while football returned to the NEC in 2024. Women’s lacrosse also joined the MAC under King and saw immediate success.
The Colonial’s Horizon League residency has been highlighted by memorable moments despite its short history. Men’s basketball returned to March Madness under Andy Toole, whom King signed to a contract extension in 2025, while softball won a conference championship for the first time in 20 years.
In his first year with the program, Chris King oversaw the successful opening of the UPMC Events Center. King secured significant corporate naming and sponsorship deals, including deals with Chick-Fil-A and P3R. The Colonial Champions Fund program was also launched under King, bringing a new revenue generating development fund to support all aspects of the student-athlete experience.
In a statement provided to Sentry Media by Robert Morris, King said, “It has been an honor to serve my alma mater as the Vice President and Director of Athletics at Robert Morris University, and I am proud of what this program and its student-athletes have accomplished during my tenure.
After careful reflection, I have decided to step down from my role to pursue new professional opportunities. The administration and I have mutually agreed that this is the right moment for a clean, positive transition as we both move into our next chapters.
To the coaches, staff, and student-athletes at RMU, you have my deepest respect and admiration. What you do every day matters, and I am a better leader for having worked alongside you.
College athletics is being remade in real time, and I am genuinely excited about what comes next. The best work is still ahead.”
A national search for a King’s replacement will begin immediately.
