Associate Athletic Director of Development, University of Miami
Nicole Lazo Tugg joined the University of Miami in July 2024 as Associate Athletic Director of Development, leading fundraising efforts for Olympic Sports. In her first year, she helped drive a record-breaking year for Miami Athletics Development, securing one of the four largest gifts in program history. Previously, Nicole served at Rhodes College, where she became the first woman to lead athletic fundraising for all 21 NCAA sports programs. During her tenure, she secured philanthropic support to name the basketball court after the school’s longest-serving men’s basketball coach and funded major locker room renovations and endowed coaching positions. Before Rhodes, Nicole contributed to the $90 million renovation of Falcon Stadium while working at the United States Air Force Academy. A Coral Gables native and former collegiate softball and soccer student-athlete, Nicole is proud to return home and currently serves as President-Elect of the Junior Orange Bowl Committee.
