Girton joins Auburn athletics staff

Saturday, August 13, 2016

Eagle grad new COO for Tigers

AUBURN, Ala. --South Putnam graduate Marcy Girton was hired this week by Auburn University to fill the position of chief operating officer for the school's athletics department.

Auburn Director of Athletics Jay Jacobs announced Monday the hiring of Girton, who most recently held the position of Texas A&M University deputy athletics director.

"I am very excited to have someone of Marcy's caliber join the Auburn athletics department," Jacobs said. "Marcy brings a wealth of experience at the highest level. In addition to being a student-athlete and a coach, Marcy's administrative experience includes working at a Division III institution, a Big 12 school and two schools in the Southeastern Conference. She is widely considered a rising star in college athletics."

Girton has spent the past four years assisting the Texas A&M athletics director with the day-to-day operation of the department as well as serving as sport administrator for football, women's soccer, men's basketball, and men's and women's tennis.

In 2015, Girton was reportedly in the final three candidates for the athletic director position at Appalachian State, according to published reports, but did not receive the position.

"This is a fantastic opportunity for this stage of my career," Girton said. "Jay Jacobs is one of the most respected athletics directors in this league and across college athletics, and I was drawn to working with Jay and the staff he has assembled.

"Auburn is a very traditional campus and I appreciate the strong collegiate environment," she added. "I have a lot of familiarity with Auburn from being a peer in the Southeastern Conference, so I understand the expectation of excellence this position demands."

Prior to her arrival at Texas A&M, Girton was Chief of Staff at the University of South Carolina, where she was responsible for oversight of all external operations, including athletics development, marketing, media relations, video production, the website and social media. She served as the sport administrator for men's and women's soccer, women's basketball, and men's and women's golf.

Girton also had stints as an Associate Director of Athletics at Texas Christian and Western Carolina.

Before getting into administration, she spent 10 years as head women's basketball coach for three programs, including Trinity College, Taylor University and the University of Southern Colorado.

A native of Reelsville, Girton graduated from Taylor University in 1981 and received master's degrees from Ball State in 1982 and Indiana State in 1983.

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