PHILADELPHIA – Brian "Rudy" Fuller, who has spent the past 20 years as the James C. Gentle Head Coach of Men's Soccer at the University of Pennsylvania, has been named Senior Associate Athletic Director for Intercollegiate Programs, Dr. M. Grace Calhoun announced today. Fuller will provide administrative oversight for all 33 intercollegiate sports with specific responsibility for football and men's and women's basketball, in addition to overseeing compliance, student development, and sports performance.
 
In addition to leading Penn men's soccer, Fuller spent the past year as the Special Advisor to the Athletic Director and member of the Division's Senior Leadership Team. In that role, he provided advice and counsel to Dr. Calhoun on a variety of internal and external issues impacting the intercollegiate programs. He also facilitated monthly head coach meetings with Calhoun and served as a liaison between the coaching staff and administration.
 
 "We are excited to have Rudy join our administrative team in this very important role," Calhoun said. "His experience as a head coach at Penn will enable him to effectively lead our intercollegiate programs as we strive to reach our competitive goals set forth in the Division's strategic plan. Rudy has made numerous relationships with University partners during his career which will benefit Penn Athletics and its student-athletes. He also has been a close advisor of mine since my arrival at Penn in 2014, which we formalized last summer in his role as the Special Advisor to the Athletic Director. He has been the head coach liaison to the administration for many years on sport management issues, and I foresee a smooth transition into his new position. While we will miss seeing Rudy on the sidelines of Rhodes Field, his perspective and experience will be a great addition to Penn Athletics administration."
 
"I am extremely grateful to Dr. Grace Calhoun for providing me an opportunity to join her senior leadership team within Penn Athletics," Fuller said. "Over the past 20 years, I have had the pleasure of serving as the James C. Gentle Head Coach of Men's Soccer and have thoroughly enjoyed working with the student-athletes, alumni, and friends of Penn Soccer. I take great pride in having been a part of such a storied and successful program, and I am confident that the program is poised for significant success in the years ahead. As I embark on this new chapter in my professional career, I am humbled and excited to take on this new role. I look forward to working alongside student-athletes, coaches, staff, alumni, campus leaders and the entire Penn community as we work to elevate the academic and athletic experience of our student-athletes, engage the passion and pride of our Penn community, and positively impact all those connected to Penn Athletics."
 
As head coach, Fuller transformed the Penn program—which had experienced just one winning season in the 13 years prior to his arrival—into one of the top teams in the Mid-Atlantic region. The Quakers won seven Philadelphia Soccer Six championships, reached the NCAA Championship four times (2002, 2008, 2010, 2013), and won three Ivy League titles (2002, 2008, 2013). Penn advanced to the NCAA Second Round on two occasions, in 2002 and 2010.
 
Five of Fuller's student-athletes were drafted by Major League Soccer (MLS) teams, including Penn's first-ever Ivy League Player of the Year and the first All-American since 1984 (Matthew Haefner). Duke Lacroix was named Penn's first Ivy League Offensive Player of the Year in 2013. In total, 23 student-athletes earned first-team All-Ivy honors over the past 17 years after a span of 14 years without one.
 
Fuller's teams were committed to achievement in the classroom and in the community. The Quakers have won the NSCAA Team Academic Award each year since 1999, marking the longest streak in the nation, and the program has engaged in community service through the Friends of Jaclyn Foundation, Grassroots Soccer, Junior Diabetes Research, and Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Philadelphia.
 
Prior to arriving at Penn, Fuller was an assistant coach at his alma mater, Georgetown University, from 1993-98. He helped the Hoyas to the 1994 Big East championship and the 1997 NCAA Sweet 16. He earned a bachelor's degree in business administration from Georgetown in 1993, his MBA from Villanova in 2003, and is pursuing a master's in organizational dynamics from Penn.