A 2017-18 NACDA Division II Athletic Director of the Year Award recipient, Josh Berlo is in his seventh
season as the University of Minnesota Duluth's director of intercollegiate athletics. Berlo, who was appointed to that position on April 3, 2013, joined the Bulldog staff after spending the previous 13 years at the University of Notre Dame.
In addition to overseeing all UMD head coaches, staff and administrative personnel, Berlo is responsible for the student-athlete experience, developing and implementing a strategic plan, managing the departmental budget, directing the use of the University’s athletic facilities, and leading fundraising and marketing efforts for the 16-sport program. These objectives are all geared to the Bulldog mission of excellence in the classroom, in competition and in the community while supporting UMD’s overall strategic plan.
“UMD is a special place with an impressive tradition of multi-disciplinary excellence,” says Berlo. “I am honored to lead Bulldog athletics in support of our student-athletes, staff and coaches as they chase championships, excel academically and actively engage in the community.”
Since his arrival at UMD, Berlo also made fan experience and engagement a top priority while helping expand the national profile of Bulldog athletics.
“Our athletic programs enjoy a tremendous level of support in Minnesota and beyond,” he adds. “As such, it is our duty to provide the ultimate fan experience, serve as role models and help instill a source of community pride.”
Berlo’s tenure at UMD has seen sustained and elevated levels of success in the classroom, competitively, and in the community.
Among the litany of projects and achievements Berlo has helped spearhead include: the $10 million renovation of Romano Gymnasium as well as major upgrades to both James S. Malosky Stadium and the Ward Wells Fieldhouse, expanded television coverage and enhanced broadcast quality locally, regionally (on FSN and CBS Sports Network) and digitally through the launch of Bulldog Productions; signing Under Armour as the official apparel and uniform partner of the Bulldogs (more than doubling the value previously provided to UMD athletics annually); setting the all-time single-season and single-game attendance records for men’s hockey and football; and the addition of $700,000 in LED video and score boards at four on-campus venues. In addition, UMD has experienced six consecutive years of generating over $1.0 million in annual fundraising donations.
Academically, UMD athletics reached unprecedented heights in 2017-18 when its 378 student-athletes collectively achieved an average GPA of 3.25 (which topped the school record set one year earlier).
During the past six years, UMD has produced 36 NSIC Myles Brand All-Academic Award recipients (seniors with GPAs of 3.75 or better), 513 All-Academic Team citations from the NSIC, NCHC and WCHA and 14 different CoSIDA Academic All-Americans.
In competition, 13 of 16 programs have all qualified for NCAA regional or and national tournament
play since the 2013-14 season with men's hockey capturing the NCAA title in both 2018 and 2019. Over that same span, 76 Bulldogs attained All-American status and three coaches (hockey’s Scott Sandelin and Maura Crowell and football’s Curt Wiese) have been recipients of a national Coach of the Year honor.
Under Berlo’s watch -- and with his encouragement -- Bulldog student-athletes and staff have annually provided the Twin Ports area with 3,000-plus hours of community service to scores of organizations. Berlo has walked the walk himself, staying highly-engaged in the community through volunteerism with the American Cancer Society (through its Real Men Wear Pink campaign and personally raising more than $12,000 in the 2016 effort), the North Country Trail Association and the Superior Hiking Trail Association. In 2015, he was recognized by the National Park Service for reaching the 100-hour mark through their “Volunteers In Parks” program. Berlo served a three-year term on the Duluth Chamber of Commerce Board, is a member of the American Cancer Society Leadership Board of Minnesota and a board member of the North Country Trail Association. Berlo was also selected as one of the 2014 Duluth News Tribune’s “20 under 40”.
Prior to joining the Bulldog staff, Berlo was employed as Notre Dame’s senior assistant athletics director for guest relations and event marketing. In this role, he oversaw all aspects of athletic ticketing, event marketing and promotional efforts, football game-day parking operations and revenue generation, the Drive with the Irish sponsorship program. He also was the sport administrator for Notre Dame baseball and he represented Notre Dame on the Executive Committee of the Sports Management Institute (SMI), a program which he has been involved with since his undergraduate days and completed in 2008. Berlo currently is an athletic director representative on the SMI Executive Committee.
A native of Warren, R.I., Berlo earned his Bachelor’s degree in sport management from the University of Massachusetts in 1999 and his MBA (with a concentration in finance and communication) from Notre Dame five years later. He and his wife, Meg, have one son (Michael) and reside in Duluth near the UMD campus.
