University of Richmond Athletics
Stanton, McPherson Promoted to Senior Spider Athletics Leadership Roles
09/29/2026 | General, Compliance, Spider Leadership, Spider Performance
Flint Hired to Replace Stanton as Associate AD for Compliance
RICHMOND, Va. — Richmond has promoted Mark Stanton to Senior Associate Director of Athletics & Chief of Staff and Andy McPherson to Senior Associate Athletics Director for Leadership, Performance, and Student-Athlete Development, Director of Athletics John P. Hardt announced Tuesday.
As Chief of Staff, Stanton will serve as chief compliance officer as well as senior advisor to Hardt and help coordinate the department's strategic and operational priorities. His portfolio will include oversight of rules compliance, legal affairs, name, image and likeness (NIL) initiatives, student-athlete conduct, and the implementation of emerging NCAA policies.
McPherson will oversee Spider Performance, Richmond Athletics' student-athlete success program that provides resources designed to promote athletic, academic, personal, and professional excellence. He will also manage Richmond's Sports Medicine and Sports Performance departments and direct programming designed to support the holistic growth of Spider student-athletes while collaborating with coaches, staff and campus partners to strengthen the student-athlete experience.
"Mark and Andy have earned the trust and respect of our student-athletes, coaches and staff through their leadership, judgment and deep commitment to the University of Richmond," said Hardt. "Mark's legal and compliance expertise, institutional knowledge and ability to navigate the rapidly changing landscape of college athletics make him exceptionally well-suited to serve as our Chief of Staff. Andy's experience supporting student-athletes, his ability to build meaningful relationships and his passion for developing leaders will be tremendous assets as we continue to enhance the Richmond student-athlete experience. I am excited to welcome both of them to these critically important roles."
Stanton joined Richmond Athletics in 2018 as Compliance Coordinator and was promoted to Assistant Athletics Director in 2021 and Associate Athletics Director for Compliance in January 2024. In his most recent role, he provided daily leadership and operational oversight of Richmond's athletics compliance program and led the department's NIL initiatives. He also served as the primary liaison to several campus offices, including Financial Aid, the Registrar and the Bursar's Office.
"I'm grateful for the opportunity to continue supporting our student-athletes, coaches, staff and broader Spider Athletics community, and to contribute in new and meaningful ways to an institution I care deeply about," said Stanton. "The people here and those who came before us are what make Richmond Athletics great. I'm committed to anticipating the needs of our community and helping Richmond respond effectively to the forces reshaping college athletics."
McPherson joined Richmond in 2021, bringing more than 15 years of experience in intercollegiate athletics. As a Senior Associate Athletic Trainer, he worked primarily with the Spiders' men's basketball and men's golf programs, helping both capture conference championships during his tenure. He previously held both Head Athletic Trainer and Assistant AD roles at Hampden-Sydney College.
"The University of Richmond is a special place because of the people we are surrounded by," said McPherson. "I am passionate about helping all student-athletes be champions on the field and in the classroom and become successful once they leave our community. I'd like to thank John Hardt and Chris Mooney for their support and for this tremendous new opportunity."
Kelley Flint, formerly the Director of Compliance at the University of Virginia, will replace Stanton as Richmond's Associate Athletics Director of Compliance. Flint joined UVA in February 2025 and has also worked in Compliance roles at George Washington and VCU.
Flint is a 2022 graduate of the University of Richmond School of Law. She received her Bachelor's degree in Communications from VCU in 2018, where she was a member of the women's lacrosse team.
As Chief of Staff, Stanton will serve as chief compliance officer as well as senior advisor to Hardt and help coordinate the department's strategic and operational priorities. His portfolio will include oversight of rules compliance, legal affairs, name, image and likeness (NIL) initiatives, student-athlete conduct, and the implementation of emerging NCAA policies.
McPherson will oversee Spider Performance, Richmond Athletics' student-athlete success program that provides resources designed to promote athletic, academic, personal, and professional excellence. He will also manage Richmond's Sports Medicine and Sports Performance departments and direct programming designed to support the holistic growth of Spider student-athletes while collaborating with coaches, staff and campus partners to strengthen the student-athlete experience.
"Mark and Andy have earned the trust and respect of our student-athletes, coaches and staff through their leadership, judgment and deep commitment to the University of Richmond," said Hardt. "Mark's legal and compliance expertise, institutional knowledge and ability to navigate the rapidly changing landscape of college athletics make him exceptionally well-suited to serve as our Chief of Staff. Andy's experience supporting student-athletes, his ability to build meaningful relationships and his passion for developing leaders will be tremendous assets as we continue to enhance the Richmond student-athlete experience. I am excited to welcome both of them to these critically important roles."
Stanton joined Richmond Athletics in 2018 as Compliance Coordinator and was promoted to Assistant Athletics Director in 2021 and Associate Athletics Director for Compliance in January 2024. In his most recent role, he provided daily leadership and operational oversight of Richmond's athletics compliance program and led the department's NIL initiatives. He also served as the primary liaison to several campus offices, including Financial Aid, the Registrar and the Bursar's Office.
"I'm grateful for the opportunity to continue supporting our student-athletes, coaches, staff and broader Spider Athletics community, and to contribute in new and meaningful ways to an institution I care deeply about," said Stanton. "The people here and those who came before us are what make Richmond Athletics great. I'm committed to anticipating the needs of our community and helping Richmond respond effectively to the forces reshaping college athletics."
McPherson joined Richmond in 2021, bringing more than 15 years of experience in intercollegiate athletics. As a Senior Associate Athletic Trainer, he worked primarily with the Spiders' men's basketball and men's golf programs, helping both capture conference championships during his tenure. He previously held both Head Athletic Trainer and Assistant AD roles at Hampden-Sydney College.
"The University of Richmond is a special place because of the people we are surrounded by," said McPherson. "I am passionate about helping all student-athletes be champions on the field and in the classroom and become successful once they leave our community. I'd like to thank John Hardt and Chris Mooney for their support and for this tremendous new opportunity."
Kelley Flint, formerly the Director of Compliance at the University of Virginia, will replace Stanton as Richmond's Associate Athletics Director of Compliance. Flint joined UVA in February 2025 and has also worked in Compliance roles at George Washington and VCU.
Flint is a 2022 graduate of the University of Richmond School of Law. She received her Bachelor's degree in Communications from VCU in 2018, where she was a member of the women's lacrosse team.
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