Staff
- Mike Harrity, Associate Athletic Director , (574) 631-9367, Email
- Duke Preston, Director , (574) 631-5499, Email
- Sarah Smith, Program Coordinator , (574) 631-9462, Email
- Ally Stanton, Intern , (574) 631-1216 Email
- Dawn Mays, Administrative Assistant , (574) 631-8090 Email
Mike Harrity
Associate Athletic Director
Mike Harrity serves as the Associate Athletics Director for Student-Athlete Development and Community Programming at the University of Notre Dame.
Harrity oversees all student-athlete welfare and development programs for Notre Dame athletics as well as all youth community outreach and summer camp programming.
Harrity came to Notre Dame from the University of Kansas in December of 2011. At Kansas, Harrity was most recently responsible for developing, coordinating and executing the Kansas athletics staff’s community involvement, outreach and relationship-building at the local and regional level. Additionally, he led the effort of relationship-building and outreach to former student-athletes who have achieved success in professional athletics and business.
Prior to that role, Harrity served as the Kansas associate athletics director for marketing, revenue development and game-day experience, where his duties included administering the sales, marketing, promotions and game-day experience departments. In his previous position, Harrity served as the Kansas assistant athletic director for student-athlete development and community relations. In that role, Harrity’s responsibilities included designing and implementing all personal development educational programming, serving as the advisor for the Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and directing the community outreach plan for the athletics department. In 2011, the NCAA awarded SAAC the Division I SAAC Award of Excellence.
Additionally, Harrity developed and led the Jayhawk Leadership Program. The mission of the leadership program is to prepare student-athletes for leadership positions and empower them to enact positive change within their individual teams, within the department and across the entire campus. In addition to his responsibilities at Kansas, Harrity served as a facilitator at NCAA Leadership Conferences and directed the curriculum and planning for the inaugural Big 12 Conference Leadership Summit in July 2010.
Before coming to Kansas in 2004, Harrity served as coordinator of life skills educational programming for the University of Minnesota athletics program. He previously worked as a graduate assistant from 2000-02 at Kansas, leading the Jayhawk Job Network and serving as an advisor to SAAC.
A 1999 graduate of The University of Kansas with a degree in journalism, Harrity went on to earn a master’s degree in education from Kansas in 2002. He serves as a member of the Board of Directors of the Minority Opportunities Athletic Association (MOAA).
In February 2012, Harrity published a book, Coaching Wisdom, which features leadership lessons from 13 coaches who have won a combined 103 championships.
Harrity and his wife, Megan, a licensed Counseling and Sport Psychologist, are parents of a daughter, Grace.
Duke Preston
Director
Duke Preston serves as the Program Director for Student-Athlete Welfare and Development at the University of Notre Dame. As program director, Preston plays an integral role in the development of programs offered by Student Welfare and Development geared towards developing Notre Dame Student- Athletes personally, professionally and spiritually.
Preston came to Notre Dame from Dallas, TX, where he attended Dallas Theological Seminary working towards a Master’s Degree in Christian Education. Concurrent with the master’s program, Preston served on staff with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes as the Northwest Dallas Area Director. His position there included the oversight of more than 100 area high schools, middle schools, and college campus groups. With Dallas FCA, he also fulfilled the role of area spokesman for the One Way 2 Play – Drug Free initiative, speaking at school assemblies and to sports teams throughout the Metroplex. With a background in communications, Preston had the opportunity to be the keynote speaker at several community events and camps.
Preston received his undergraduate degree in Speech Communications from the University of Illinois where he was a scholarship athlete, playing football as an Offensive Lineman from 2000-2004. During his senior campaign, Preston was voted as the Offensive Player of the Year, Team Captain and Honorable Mention All-Big Ten.
Preston was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the 4th round of the 2005 NFL draft. He was voted to the Sporting News All-Rookie team in 2005 and spent four seasons in Buffalo totaling 21 career starts and playing in 61 NFL games. During his tenure, he was three times honored for his community service commitment with the Northwest Buffalo Community Center, working with the youth programs and schools in the city of Buffalo. Preston signed a contract with the Green Bay Packers in 2009 before being released and signing with the Dallas Cowboys where he spent his 5th and final season in the NFL.
Duke and his wife, Lisa, were married in February of 2007 and are parents of daughter Maya and son Raymond.
Sarah Smith
Program Coordinator
Sarah Smith, who began working at the University of Notre Dame in 2009, is in her second year as program coordinator in the office of student welfare and development afterserving in that department as an intern the previous two years.
Smith, a native of Oklahoma City, Okla., graduated in 2008 from Notre Dame with a bachelor’s degree in theology. Smith was a varsity softball player during her years at Notre Dame and garnered All-BIG EAST and All-Region First Team honors in 2008 when she had 60 hits on the season.
Smith volunteered her time as softball coach at the University of Northern Colorado following her graduation from Notre Dame. During this time she received her master’s degree in sports administration from the University of Northern Colorado.
Smith, who currently lives in South Bend, Ind., enjoys cycling, snow skiing, mountain biking, reading, and the company of her friends, family and dog, Boulder.
Dawn Mays
Administrative Assistant
Dawn Mays, who has been a member of the University of Notre Dame staff since 2006, moved into her current role as administrative assistant for sports performance and student welfare&development in June 2011. Prior to that, she served as a senior staff assistant for varsity sports, including baseball, softball, women’s lacrosse, volleyball, and rowing.
A native of Huntington Beach, Calif., Mays received her bachelor’s degree from UCLA in 1987 and her master’s degree in 1994 from San Diego State. Both degrees were in English.
Ally Stanton
Intern
Ally Stanton started working at the University of Notre Dame in September of 2012 in the office of Student Welfare & Development.
Stanton finished both her Master of Education degree in Sports Management and Bachelor of Science degree in Journalism at the University of Kansas in Lawrence, KS while lettering in softball for four years from 2006-2010. During her time at KU she also served as Graduate Assistant in the SWA office, assisting Financial Aid and Student-Athlete Development, before being promoted to Coordinator of Leadership Training and Student-Athlete Development.
Stanton is originally from St. Louis, MO. She loves returning to visit family and friends, and to catch a Blues Hockey or Cardinals Baseball game.