Denise Lough - Assistant A.D. for Administration and Operations SPORT OVERSIGHT – Tennis - Staff Directory

Staff Directory

Denise Lough

Title:
Assistant A.D. for Administration and Operations
SPORT OVERSIGHT – Tennis
Email:
Phone:
540-568-8036
Physical Address:
Godwin 204A (261 Bluestone Dr.) / MSC 2301

Denise Lough serves as JMU Athletics’ Assistant Athletics Director for Administration and Operations, providing leadership and oversight for the department’s human resources, administrative operations, and strategic initiatives. As a member of the department’s administrative leadership team, she oversees HR-related processes and compliance, working closely with University Human Resources on employee recruitment, retention, compensation, employee relations, performance management, and staffing evaluations. Lough also serves as the department’s liaison to the Office of Equal Opportunity, Center for Global Engagement, and legal counsel regarding hiring and recruitment matters.

In addition to her administrative duties, Lough serves as the sport administrator for JMU’s men’s and women’s tennis programs, oversees the department’s annual Athletics Hall of Fame event, and acts as JMU Athletics’ liaison to the University’s Board of Visitors Athletics Committee. She also assists with departmental strategic planning initiatives and supports the Director of Athletics in the planning and implementation of key departmental priorities.

Lough has held several roles within JMU Athletics, including Assistant to the A.D. from 2017-2022, Athletics Business Manager from 2015-2017, and Director of Football Operations from 2012-2014. Her professional experience also includes positions with the Baltimore Orioles, a semi-professional football organization in Florida, JMU Human Resources, and paralegal work specializing in estate planning and municipal law.

A 2005 graduate of James Madison University, Lough earned her bachelor’s degree in communications with a minor in sport communication and is a graduate of the JMU IMPACT Leadership Program, Cohort 17.

Lough is a member of the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics, Women Leaders in College Sports, and JMU’s Compensation Advisory Committee, and she serves as a hearing panelist for JMU Title IX and the Office of Equal Opportunity.

Lough and her husband, Aaron, have two sons, Maris and Maddox, along with their rescue lab, Jax.