Jake Kuennen joined the University of San Diego Athletics Department as Associate Athletic Director for Facilities and Operations in October of 2021.
A member of the department’s senior staff, his duties include leadership of the day-to-day operations of the department’s facilities, events, sports camps, scheduling, transportation, production and ticket office. He also oversees the planning, design, and construction of various capital projects and facility renovations throughout the athletic department. In his time with the Toreros, Kuennen has provided oversight for, and been involved with several capital projects and major facility renovations, including the Purcell Family Short Game Facility, the Wellness Center and Basketball Practice Facility, and Softball Park.
Additionally, he acts as chief liaison to multiple campus entities, and serves on various committees, including the Commencement Committee. He serves as the primary athletics liaison for university commencement and other campus events, while also playing an integral role in bringing external events to campus to include San Diego Loyal SC, San Diego Wave FC, Area Code Games and the 2023 World Lacrosse Games. Throughout his career, he has led efforts for numerous championships at both the conference and NCAA level, including most recently the 2022 NCAA Volleyball Championships hosted by USD at Jenny Craig Pavilion.
Kuennen 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 in a similar role 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, and contributed to several IIAC championships. 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 lives in San Diego along with his wife, Tracey.
