General | June 02, 2021
PHILADELPHIA - The University of Pennsylvania today announced the appointment of
Alanna Shanahan, C'96, as the T. Gibbs Kane, Jr. W'69 Director of Athletics and Recreation, starting July 19, 2021.
"We set out to bring to Penn a trailblazing leader in intercollegiate athletics and that is exactly what we have with
Alanna Shanahan," said Penn President Amy Gutmann. "Alanna has the vision, experience, expertise, and energy to ensure that Penn Athletics continues its commitment to excellence both on and off the playing field. For nearly two decades, Alanna proudly donned the Red and Blue as a student athlete, coach, and administrator. Today, we are thrilled to welcome her back home to Penn."
Shanahan is currently Vice Provost for Student Affairs at Johns Hopkins University, after serving there from 2016 to 2019 as Director of Recreation and Athletics. At Penn, she was Deputy Director of Athletics and Senior Woman Administrator from 2012-2016 and Executive Director of the Penn Relays from 2011 to 2016, capping an almost-twenty year career at Penn that she began as Assistant (and then Interim Head) Women's Lacrosse Coach. She played women's lacrosse for all four years as an anthropology major in the Class of 1996 and went on to earn an EdD and MS in Higher Education Administration from the Graduate School of Education, while working as an Assistant, Associate, and Senior Associate Athletic Director.
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Alanna Shanahan is the ideal leader to chart the future of Penn Athletics and Recreation," said Provost Wendell Pritchett. "She has been a dynamic member of our community for more than half her life – across a brilliant career that brought her from Captain and MVP of the women's lacrosse team to Deputy Director of Athletics and Executive Director of the Penn Relays. She has a deep understanding of the role of athletics and recreation in our shared life on campus, which will be invaluable as we emerge from the pandemic together in the years ahead."
"It's an honor to return to Penn, a University and athletics department with a storied history which continues to excel today," Shanahan said. "Penn provides student-athletes with an unrivaled experience — an outstanding education coupled with the opportunity to achieve competitive excellence. As a former Penn student-athlete, coach and administrator there is no place I'd rather be. The opportunity to lead a program that had such a profound impact on my life is a dream come true."
As Deputy Director of Athletics, Shanahan managed all aspects of Penn's highly successful 33-sport intercollegiate athletics program – with direct oversight of the football, basketball, and lacrosse programs – including recruiting, budgeting, Title IX compliance, academic services, and alumni relations. As Director of Athletics and Recreation at Johns Hopkins from 2016 to 2019, she oversaw the university's 24-sport athletic program, leading it to the most successful years in university history, with 37 conference titles and three consecutive top ten finishes in the Learfield IMG College Directors' Cup standings, including a second-place finish in the 2018-19 academic year.
She made a priority of advancing the academic and personal development of student-athletes, creating the first full-time directorship of Student-Athlete Success and launching a leadership development program for student-athletes. As Vice Provost for Student Affairs since August 2019, she has continued to focus on student well-being, developing a new Hopkins Student Center, expanding the O'Connor Center for Recreation and Well-Being, leading the university's efforts to reimagine the student experience during the pandemic, and managing all aspects of academic, residential, and extracurricular university life for more than 8000 graduate and undergraduate students.
"President Gutmann, EVP Carnaroli, and I," said Provost Pritchett, "are deeply grateful to the Advisory Committee who helped us arrive at this outstanding result, as well as to all the members of the Penn community who offered their ideas and to
Rudy Fuller for his exceptional service as Interim Director. We look forward to working together under the exciting leadership of
Alanna Shanahan in the years ahead."
What They Are Saying About Alanna Shanahan
"We are very excited to welcome back Alanna to Philadelphia. She has strong ties to our department having shined as a student-athlete, coach, and administrator. Having worked closely with her in the past, I'm excited for what the future brings. Her love and passion for Penn in unrivaled." –
George A. Munger Head Coach of Football Ray Priore
"This is such a great hire for Penn Athletics. Alanna's passion for Penn will be such an awesome addition to an already strong athletic department. She's a great leader with a strong understanding of how to get things done. Welcome home Alanna! Go Penn!!" –
W. Joseph Blood Head Coach of Baseball John Yurkow
"I am thrilled to see Alanna return to Penn. As a former athlete, coach and administrator here, Alanna knows the inner workings of the University and can hit the ground running which is so important for our recovery efforts from the pandemic. Most importantly, this is home for Alanna; she bleeds Red & Blue and her passion, energy and love for Penn is exactly what we need right now." –
Leslie King Softball Head Coach
"We are all so excited to have Alanna back at Penn as our new AD. Alanna was a lacrosse player as an undergraduate and then coached the year preceding me before becoming an administrator. She knows Penn better than anyone and truly cares about this University and the success of our teams and department. She is wonderful to work for as she understands what coaches deal with and yet has built tremendous relationships on campus. She is truly the perfect AD for Penn as we move into a new phase and future of Penn Athletics. As she said, this is her home and we are all so happy to have her back!"
– Lois S. Leitner Head Coach of Women's Lacrosse Karin Corbett
"From the moment I met Alanna I knew her to be an authentic and fair leader. She is a creative problem solver, passionate ambassador and in tune with the needs of DRIA and more importantly our student athletes. Alanna will create an environment for ambition, competitiveness and love for the Red and Blue! Welcome home Alanna!" –
Colleen Fink Field Hockey Head Coach
"It's a special day here at Penn as we welcome back
Alanna Shanahan as our new Director of Athletics & Recreation. Alanna brings the ideal combination of intelligence, experience and a great work ethic to Penn Athletics. She is the perfect person to lead our program on the journey ahead. It's so exciting to have Alanna and her family back in the Red & Blue. Go Penn!"
- James P. Tuppeny/Betty J. Costanza Director of Track & Field/Cross Country Steve Dolan
"What a great day for Penn! I could not be more excited to welcome
Alanna Shanahan home as the Director of Penn Athletics ad Recreation. There isn't anyone who loves Penn more than Alanna. Her energy, enthusiasm, and experience is unmatched. The future is bright for Penn and I look forward to working with Alanna again!" –
Head Coach of Women's Basketball Mike McLaughlin
"We could not be more excited about
Alanna Shanahan returning to Penn to lead our athletic department. She knows our strengths and our challenges from the perspective of the Ivy League athlete, from the vantage point of a coach and through the eyes of an administrator. Alanna has all the skills and experience needed to guide this department to new heights, as well as the ability to effectively communicate with a wide variety of constituencies from alumni, to recruits to faculty members to coaches. She is the ideal leader for Penn Lacrosse to continue to pursue our championship goals and provide our student-athletes with a first class experience. Alanna is the perfect person for our department at the perfect time." –
James H. Greene, Jr. Head Coach of Men's Lacrosse Mike Murphy
