Ryan Varley - Senior Associate Athletic Director, Finance and Strategy - Staff Directory

Staff Directory

Ryan Varley

Title:
Senior Associate Athletic Director, Finance and Strategy
Email:
Phone:
412-860-9354

Ryan Varley joined the University of Pittsburgh Athletic Department in October 2007 as an undergraduate student intern and currently serves as the Senior Associate Athletic Director, CFO, a position to which he was promoted in April 2022. In his current position, Varley is directly responsible for overseeing the Athletic Department’s day-to-day business operations, financial planning efforts, revenue generation strategies, and travel management, analytics, and information technology functions. Varley is also the department’s primary liaison to the University’s CFO and works extensively with the Office of University Counsel, Division of Philanthropic and Alumni Engagement, Internal Audit, Purchasing, Payment Processing, Auxiliary Services, Pitt IT, Strategic Sourcing, and the Office of the Treasurer.

Prior to being named to his current position, Varley served the Athletic Department as the Associate Athletic Director of Business Services from 2016-2022, Assistant Athletic Director for Business and Finance from 2014-2016, Director of Business Operations from 2011-2014, and Coordinator of Business Operations and Insurance from 2009-2011. During this time, he has either worked in or overseen each of the functions within the Athletic Department’s Business Office. This includes areas such as budget development, financial reporting, accounts payable, purchasing, student-athlete medical administration, and contract management.

Throughout his career, Varley has been heavily involved in several other areas of the department, most notably human resources, camps and clinics, strategic and capital planning, game day operations, and post-season planning. He has also served as the point person on a number of initiatives aimed at streamlining or enhancing operations within the department. These projects include the transition to Anthony Travel for on-site travel management services as well as the implementation of electronic vendor payment, purchasing, and expense reimbursement systems. Additionally, Varley was appointed to lead all operational aspects of the Athletic Department’s color change transition efforts, an initiative that successfully culminated in April 2019 with the reveal of a series of new logos, marks, and colors.

A native of Bethel Park, PA, Varley is married to the former Molly Beachler and currently resides in Bridgeville, PA with his two children, Conor (2 years old) and Reilly (3 months old). He graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in accounting and finance from the University of Pittsburgh in April 2009 and passed all four parts of the Uniform CPA Examination in 2009-2010. He was admitted to the Sports Management Institute in 2016-2017 and is a member of the College Athletic Business Manager Association (CABMA).

Beyond the Bio
Favorite sports moment at Pitt?
Beating Penn State at Heinz Field in September 2016 was an incredible experience, but my favorite moment was storming the field at Death Valley after defeating the eventual national champion Clemson Tigers in November 2016.

What do you love most about the University of Pittsburgh?
I have been asked this question many times, and my answer is the same each time. The people at the University of Pittsburgh make it an incredibly special place. They routinely demonstrate a willingness to go “above and beyond” to service others, and it is clear that the values of teamwork, collaboration, and hard work are emphasized across campus.

What do you love most about working in athletics?
I can safely say that no two days are the same in the field of intercollegiate athletics. Each day represents a unique challenge and opportunity.

Hobbies outside of work?
I enjoy distance running and have completed one marathon and four half-marathons.