Ashwin "Ash" Puri began his first year as La Salle’s Vice President of Athletics & Recreation and Director of Athletics in July 2023. Puri brings more than two decades of sports industry experience to the role.
In a 2023 press conference, La Salle University President Daniel J. Allen, Ph.D, stated, "On behalf of La Salle University, I am excited to welcome Ashwin Puri to the Explorer family…In addition to bringing over 20 years of experience to our Athletics Department, Ash has an in-depth understanding of the Philadelphia region and our athletics landscape, which we believe will be a cornerstone to his success. We have the utmost confidence in his vision for La Salle Athletics and I believe that under his leadership we will continue to provide exceptional opportunities for our student-athletes."
Since joining La Salle, Puri has overseen a transformative era of Explorer athletics. Under his leadership, La Salle undertook its largest capital project since the completion of Founders Hall, the privately funded renovation of John E. Glaser Arena, formerly Tom Gola Arena. As part of the renovation process, La Salle also revamped the outdoor segment of the building to create Gola Plaza, a space dedicated to Basketball Hall of Famer Tom Gola. Extensive renovations of the lobby and mezzanine were also completed to further enhance the fan experience.
Under Puri’s leadership, La Salle has excelled competitively and academically. Over a dozen student-athletes have advanced to the NCAA Championships, including the first swimmer to reach the plateau since 1992. 2024 saw the La Salle Men’s Rowing team travel across the Atlantic to compete in the Henley Royal Regatta for the first time in program history. In 2023, the La Salle women’s soccer program advanced to the A-10 title game for the first time since 2017. In the classroom, the Explorers have thrived, with every varsity program achieving over a 3.0 GPA in every semester since Puri’s arrival, while the department-wide average never dropped below a 3.39 cumulative. Over 200 student-athletes have received All-Academic awards.
In the summer of 2024, La Salle athletics unveiled a groundbreaking departmental expansion spearheaded by Puri, adding three emerging NCAA women’s sports (Acrobatics and Tumbling, Rugby, and Triathlon) alongside reviving Baseball. Overall, the expansion plan will add nearly 100 new student-athletes and over a dozen new Athletic Staff members to the La Salle family. La Salle Athletics set Day of Giving fundraising records in both 2024 and 2025 under Puri.
As Vice President of Athletics & Recreation, Director of Athletics at La Salle University, Puri is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the athletics and recreation department and its student athletes, head coaches and staff members. His robust experience in both business operations at the collegiate level and in the front offices for Major League Baseball, National Basketball Association, and National Football League organizations position him well for this role.
"It's an honor to join an institution with such rich history and strong values, and I want to thank President Allen for this opportunity," said Puri. "I am thrilled to become part of the Explorer community and help write the next chapter for La Salle Athletics and our student-athlete experience, especially at an institution that understands the transformative impact athletics can have on the entire university. To do this in Philadelphia, one of the most passionate sports cities in the country, so close to family and lifelong friends is incredibly exciting."
Prior to joining the Explorers, Puri served as Senior Associate Athletic Director and Chief Athletics Operating Officer at Villanova University. After joining Villanova University in 2019, he was responsible for overseeing the athletics department's annual operating and capital budgets while managing contract negotiations, facilities, ticket operations, sports medicine, travel, equipment, and more. In this role, Puri also worked closely with the Villanova University Men's Basketball program as the Sports Administrator, where he was responsible for spearheading NIL initiatives.
Before joining the Philadelphia intercollegiate athletics community, Puri served as Vice President of Strategy & Business Operations of the Oakland Athletics, where he oversaw more than $60 million in annual revenue. In this role, he managed and led fan-focused upgrades at the Oakland Coliseum and was a member of the new ballpark development team. Puri also led several organization-wide initiatives, including the CORE Academy, an innovative program that helps introduce recent college graduates to sports business.
From 2012-2017, Puri was Senior Associate Athletic Director and Chief Revenue Officer at the University of California, Berkeley where he was responsible for more than $45 million in total annual revenue and led ticket operations, ticket sales and service, premium sales, customer relationship management, marketing, creative, brand, advertising, social media, licensing and merchandise, and special events. Notably, he also served as a liaison for several external partnerships, a role that allowed Puri to spearhead two of the program's largest partnerships with Learfield Sports and Under Armour. At the time, these partnerships ranked among the most valuable across D1 public universities. Puri also led premium seating and hospitality improvements at both Haas Pavilion and California Memorial Stadium.
Puri graduated from the University of Massachusetts in 2001 with a degree in Sports Management and was recognized in Sports Business Journal’s “Forty Under 40” Class of 2017. His previous athletic experience includes positions with the New York Jets, the then-New Jersey Nets and the NBA front office.
