Marissa Manko - Sport Administrator - Volleyball Support Staff

Marissa Manko

Title:
Sport Administrator
Email:
mankoml@jmu.edu
Phone:
540-568-3829
Physical Address:
Godwin 205D (261 Bluestone Dr.) / MSC 2301

Marissa Manko serves as Senior Associate Athletics Director for Business and Finance and Chief Athletics Financial Officer at James Madison University, where she leads all fiscal operations for the department. She joined JMU in July 2024 as Associate Athletics Director for Business and Finance and has since assumed an expanded leadership role overseeing the financial strategy and infrastructure of a dynamic Division I athletics program.

In her current role, Manko functions as the department’s acting CFO, managing a $75 million athletics budget in collaboration with the Director of Athletics. She is responsible for establishing and executing the department’s fiscal strategy while overseeing all business and financial operations, including accounting, insurance, accounts payable, travel, contract management, and overall fiscal oversight. She directs the planning, development, implementation, and maintenance of the athletics budget and leads all required financial reporting, including NCAA, Equity in Athletics Disclosure Act (EADA), and audit compliance.

Manko supervises multiple operational units, including the business office, equipment, information technology, travel services, and analytics. She also contributes to university-wide initiatives as a member of the University Economic Development Committee and the Business Industry Partner Working Group.

Prior to JMU, Manko served as Assistant Athletic Director for Business Operations (Director of Finance) at the University of Louisville from August 2021 to June 2024. In that role, she managed the athletics business office and directed day-to-day financial operations for a 21-sport Division I program encompassing 367 budgets. She oversaw budget planning and execution, financial strategy development, and NCAA, EADA, and audit reporting. Manko worked closely with senior leadership to evaluate the financial impact of strategic initiatives, providing data-driven recommendations to support departmental goals. Her responsibilities also included oversight of student-athlete medical insurance, travel operations, procurement, and key human resources functions such as contracts, hiring, onboarding, and staff transitions.

Before her time at Louisville, Manko worked at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University from November 2018 to July 2021 as Athletics Operations Manager (Business Operations). She served as the department’s chief administrative officer for financial operations, overseeing athletic camps with more than 1,700 participants and supporting a $1.5 million departmental budget. Her role included financial analysis, budget management, and reconciliation, as well as contributing to NCAA and EADA reporting. She also played a leadership role in departmental fundraising initiatives, supported the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, and served as Staff Council President, representing university staff in leadership discussions.

Earlier in her career, Manko gained experience in both legal and event operations roles, working as a case manager for Hill and Ponton Law Firm and as a report writer for Landmark Event Staffing Services. She began her career in athletics as a group sales intern with the WNBA’s Tulsa Shock and as a graduate assistant coach for women’s basketball at Duquesne University. Additionally, she spent 12 years as a basketball official.

Manko earned her Master of Science in Leadership with a concentration in sports from Duquesne University in 2016. She received her Bachelor of Science in Sport Management, with a minor in coaching, from Slippery Rock University in 2013, graduating summa cum laude. She also earned a Certificate in Human Resource Leadership from the University of Louisville in February 2023.

She is an active member of the College Athletic Business Management Association (CABMA) and Women Leaders in College Sports.