General | March 16, 2026

PHILADELPHIA – Alanna Wren, who is in her fifth year as the T. Gibbs Kane, Jr. W'69 Director of Athletics and Recreation at the University of Pennsylvania, has been named a NACDA Athletics Director of the Year. The award is presented by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics. Winners will be recognized in conjunction with the 61st Annual NACDA & Affiliates Convention in June in Las Vegas.
 
"I'm humbled and grateful for this recognition, but it's really a reflection of the incredible work being done across our department," Wren said. "Our student-athletes, coaches and staff continue to push Penn Athletics forward through their dedication, teamwork and commitment to excellence. It's a privilege to lead our Division and to see the success we've earned both on and off the field."
 
While her accomplishments have been significant over her tenure, last year was a banner year under Wren's leadership. Men's squash won its second straight national championship, with Salman Khalil winning the individual national title. Penn was 68^th in the Learfield Directors' Cup, completing the best four-year span in school history. Women's lacrosse reached the NCAA quarterfinals for the second straight year and gymnastics won its fourth straight conference title.
 
Thus far in 2026, Penn has won a women's squash national championship and Ivy regular season and tournament titles in men's squash. Men's basketball recently won the Ivy League Tournament and advances to March Madness for the first time since 2018 under new head coach Fran McCaffery. Omar Hafez won Penn's second straight individual national title in men's squash.
 
Penn has achieved significant competitive success in Wren's previous four years at the helm, finishing a school record 52^nd in the Learfield Directors' Cup in 2023-24 after tying the all-time best mark of 60^th in both 2021-22 and 2022-23 (out of more than 350 Division I programs). The Quakers have won 19 regular season conference team championships during her tenure and another ten postseason conference titles.
 
"NACDA is once again proud to recognize an impressive class of Athletics Directors of the Year who are strong, inspiring and innovative in the way they lead and serve others," said Pat Manak, NACDA Chief Executive Officer. "For an award that spans almost three decades, we continue to honor both rising stars and industry veterans who make an impact across an ever-changing industry."
 
Off the field, Penn opened the T House powered by Quaker Fuel, a student-athlete fueling station and community space inside Franklin Field as well as a complete renovation of Sheerr Pool. Fundraising for a new wrestling complex within Weightman Hall was also completed in 2025 and new locker rooms for men's and women's lacrosse in 2026. She hired four new head coaches in 2025, including bringing back alum and former Iowa head coach Fran McCaffery in men's basketball, and Rick Santos, formerly the New Hampshire head coach, in football. She also hired Taylor Wray from Saint Joseph's in men's lacrosse and Tyler Hagstrom (Bucknell) in volleyball.
 
Wren also served as a mentor in the NCAA Pathways program and was selected as a member of the NCAA Men's Lacrosse Oversight Committee in 2025.

Penn teams have also had success on the national and international stage. In 2024, men's fencer Bryce Louie won the NCAA foil championship. Men's lightweight rowing was the IRA runner-up in 2024. Twelve Penn alumni or current student-athletes competed at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.

The physical footprint of Penn Athletics has also been improved during her tenure, including the opening of renovated facilities such as the Burk-Bergman Boathouse on the Schuylkill River, Tommy Lasorda Field at Meiklejohn Stadium for Penn's baseball program, and the Coulson Family Training Complex in Franklin Field in addition to the facilities mentioned above. The Ott Center for Track & Field opened in 2024.
 
Other highlights in Wren's tenure include:

• Hiring of Penn's first athletics mental health professional;
• Addition of a full-time sports dietician;
• Hiring of Penn's first Head of Community Engagement and Wellbeing, in a shared position with the Penn Museum;
• Hiring of a new Director of Campus Recreation, and the creation of partnerships with PennMed and PennHr to bolster campus community wellness via utilization of campus recreational facilities via subsidized memberships;
• Launch of fundraising campaign specifically for women's athletics, Power the Next 100;
• Growth of the Penn Athletics Wharton Leadership Academy;
• Successful return and growth of the Penn Relays following two years off due to the pandemic;
• The hiring of 12 new head coaches;
• The growth of the Young Quakers Community Athletics program to include men's and women's basketball in addition to men's and women's lacrosse and men's and women's track & field;
• More than $110M raised in commitments for annual, endowment and capital needs, including securing two gifts of more than $20M (Pottruck-Reina Wrestling Center and Ott Center for Track & Field)