Jake Kuennen joined the University of San Diego Athletics Department as Associate Athletic Director for Facilities and Operations in October of 2021. He was elevated to Senior Associate Athletic Director for Facilities and Operations in August of 2025.
A member of the department’s executive team, his duties include leadership of the day-to-day operations of the department’s facilities, event management, sports camps, fleet and transportation, and broadcast production. Kuennen directs game management efforts for San Diego Football and Men's Basketball home competitions, serving as the event administrator, while he and his team maintain and administer the university's athletic facilities, supporting the department's 18 intercollegiate athletic programs and campus community. Additionally, he serves as the sport administrator for the Men's Golf, Men's Tennis, Women's Tennis, Men's Cross Country and Women's Cross Country and Track programs.
Kuennen leads the planning, design and construction of capital projects and facility renovations for the athletic department, and in his time with the Toreros, he has provided oversight for, and been involved with several capital projects and major facility renovations, including the Purcell Family Championship Golf Facility, the renovation of the Jenny Craig Pavilion, the Basketball Performance Center, the Reggie Smith Softball Complex and the Beach Volleyball facility.
He also acts as chief liaison to a number of campus entities, and serves on various university committees, including the commencement committee. He serves as the primary athletics liaison for university commencement and other large campus events, while also playing an integral role in bringing external events to campus to include the San Diego Loyal SC, San Diego Wave FC, San Diego Legion, the Premier Lacrosse League, Los Angeles Chargers Training Camp and the Rady Children's Invitational.
Throughout his career, he has led efforts for numerous championships at both the conference and NCAA level, including recently the 2022 NCAA Volleyball Championships hosted by USD at Jenny Craig Pavilion and the 2025 NCAA Men's Tennis Championships hosted at the Skip and Cindy Hogan Tennis Center. Kuennen also serves as the West Coast Conference Basketball Championship Tournament Manager for USD.
He came to San Diego after spending the previous 7 years at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), most recently as Assistant Athletic Director for Facilities. In his time with the Bruins, Kuennen and his team oversaw day-to-day facility operations, maintenance, and projects for UCLA's intercollegiate athletics department. His tenure saw the construction and opening of Mapes Beach at Sunset Canyon Recreation Center, the Mo Ostin Basketball Center, Wallis Annenberg Stadium and the Wasserman Football Center, as well as numerous other major facility renovations and improvement projects.
Prior to his time in Westwood, Kuennen spent 2 years at the University of Southern Mississippi as Assistant Director of Facilities and Event Management. He also previously served as Assistant Director of Facilities and Operations at Ohio University from 2011 to 2013, and got his start in collegiate athletics at Drake University, where he served as Facilities Coordinator from 2009 to 2011.
A native of Denver, Iowa, Kuennen earned Bachelor of Arts degrees in Business Administration and Fitness Management from Wartburg College in 2009, where he competed as a student-athlete in football and baseball for the Knights, contributing to numerous IIAC championships and postseason appearances. He went on to earn a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from Drake University in 2011 and a Master of Sports Administration (MSA) degree from Ohio University in 2013. He is a member of the Collegiate Event and Facility Management Association (CEFMA) as well as the International Association of Venue Managers (IAVM).
Jake resides in Santee with his wife, Tracey and their son, James.
