Ed Kull Named St. John’s Vice President & Director Of Athletics

QUEENS, NY – A native New Yorker, St. John’s alumnus and gifted administrator with a proven track record of success, Ed Kull has been named the eighth vice president/athletic director in the history of St. John’s University.

“Ed Kull has demonstrated a commitment to excellence on and off the field of competition,” said Rev. Brian J. Shanley, O.P., President, St. John’s University. “This is an important hire at a critical time in the shifting landscape of college athletics, and I am pleased to have Ed rejoin our team.”

CSA is honored to have assisted President Shanley and the Red Storm on this search.

“I’d like to thank Fordham President Tania Tetlow, the Fordham administration and the Board of Trustees for their support and belief in our department over the past several years,” continued Kull. “Having backing at the highest levels of a university is critical to success in athletics. It’s something that I enjoyed at Fordham and I’m excited to work with an equally enthusiastic and dedicated administration at St. John’s led by Father Shanley and Joe Oliva.”

In addition to the men’s basketball team’s turnaround, Fordham has enjoyed success in numerous other sports during Kull’s tenure. Since being named the full-time athletic director in February of 2021, six Fordham squads have won conference championships while the football team earned an at-large berth to the FCS Playoffs in 2022. Kull, who is a member of the NCAA Division I Football Championship Committee, has twice extended the contract of Fordham Football Head Coach Joe Conlin.

In addition to their success on the fields of competition, Fordham student-athletes also excelled in the classroom during Kull’s tenure. On a four-year rolling average, Fordham student-athletes outperformed the general student population in terms of GPA, retention rate and graduation rate. The spring 2024 semester saw Fordham student-athletes compile their highest single-term GPA in 30 years.

In the summer of 2023, Kull inked a widely heralded apparel deal with Nike to outfit the Rams’ 22 varsity sports.

Kull arrived in the Bronx as the department’s senior director of development in 2017. In this role, Kull oversaw two capital campaigns while dramatically increasing fundraising and alumni engagement.

Kull began his professional career at St. John’s in 2003 as a graduate assistant in external relations. After rising to the position of Associate Athletic Director for External Relations, Kull left to oversee sports and entertainment marketing for the Glaceau and Coca-Cola companies. One of the first employees hired at Vitaminwater, he played a vital role in the company’s meteoric rise.

In 2011, Kull returned to St. John’s to serve as Chief of Staff to the President overseeing Athletics and Institutional Advancement before eventually rising to the role of acting Vice President for Athletics and Institutional Advancement. During this time, St. John’s experienced stellar fundraising numbers and saw athletic revenues increase by 40 percent, as Kull helped negotiate a hydration agreement with BODYARMOR, a lucrative apparel deal with Under Armour, and a new venue contract with Madison Square Garden.

A 2005 MBA graduate from St. John’s Tobin College of Business, Kull graduated with a BA from Stony Brook University in 2003. A member of the Stony Brook baseball team, Kull was the program’s first-ever All-America East selection in 2003. Kull, a Molloy High School graduate who played for legendary head coach Jack Curran, is currently pursuing a doctorate in educational leadership at St. John’s.

Kull and his wife, Sarah, live on Long Island and are the proud parents of two sons: Ben and Lukas.

For the full release from St. John’s Athletics, click HERE.