Biography
Mike Lynch has held significant positions in fundraising and intercollegiate athletics over a twenty- five year career in higher education. He has raised money, invested wisely and built programs for his institutions.
Currently, Mike serves as Senior Director of Athletics and Athletic Advancement at Babson College in Wellesley, MA. He oversees 22 sports and is spearheading the fundraising and development of the largest construction project in the College’s history, a $55 million recreation and athletic center that will transform the Babson campus. Prior to joining Babson, Lynch was President and CEO of ML Consulting based in Boston, helping college athletic departments strengthen their operations in development, capital projects and overall efficiency.
Mike also served for many years with distinction at Boston University. From 2000-2014, Mike served as Assistant Vice President (AVP) and Director of Athletics. For four years prior to that appointment, he served as AVP of Development for Athletics and Student Life. Under Mike’s leadership at BU, the athletic department raised substantial funding, successfully completing over $300 million in new campus and renovated facility construction and greatly expanding endowment funding for scholarship and leadership programming for coaches and student-athletes; developed one of the most dominant women’s sports programs in the country; and transitioned from the America East Conference to the Patriot League. In those ten years, Terrier teams won over 50 conference championships. Eight times the BU athletic department was awarded an all-sports trophy as the most successful program in the respected conference. The Terriers also won the National Championship in Men’s Ice Hockey and twice sent their Women’s Hockey team to the national final. The program garnered significant accolades for the academic performance of student-athletes and was widely respected for overall success on the fields of play and in the classroom.
Mike was a member of the NCAA Division I Men’s Ice Hockey Rules Committee and chaired both America East and Hockey East Executive Committees. He also has served on the Beanpot Committee, America East Strategic Planning and Hockey East Marketing committees. Lynch also chaired the Hockey East expansion committee that added the Notre Dame and Connecticut men’s programs.
Prior to becoming Director of Athletics, as Assistant Vice President of Development for Athletics and Student Life, annual support for Athletics increased from $2.5 million to more than $9 million, and nearly $60 million in capital commitments was generated to fund the construction of the John Hancock Student Village. This transformational complex encompasses Agganis Arena, the University’s Fitness and Recreation Center, residence halls, and the Track and Tennis Center.
Prior to Boston University, Lynch served for three years as Director of Athletic Development and later as Assistant Athletic Director at the University of Miami (FL), with leading roles in two capital fundraising campaigns. Lynch also worked at Union College (Schenectady, NY) on the baseball coaching staff and in the development and alumni relations office.
Lynch graduated from Rollins College in 1990 with a B.A. in Political Science. A collegiate All-American, he led the Tars to two NCAA South Region Tournaments and to the 1989 College World Series. After Rollins, he played professionally in the Milwaukee Brewers and Boston Red Sox organizations before earning an M.S. in Educational Administration from the University at Albany.
A Binghamton, N.Y., native, Lynch’s baseball career earned him selection into both the Section IV Hall of Fame in his hometown and the Athletic Hall of Fame at his alma mater.