Bemidji State hires Britt Lauritsen as new director of athletics

BEMIDJI -- Beaver Territory has its new leader: Britt Lauritsen.

Bemidji State University announced Lauritsen as its director of athletics on Tuesday, and she will take over on July 1, when current AD Tracy Dill retires.

“(My wife) Emily and I are honored and incredibly excited to join the Bemidji State family,” Lauritsen said in a press release. “From the moment I set foot on campus, I recognized an incredible community ready to embrace the opportunity to provide a holistic and meaningful experience for all students.

“I cannot wait to work with the athletics staff and campus partners to build Beaver Athletics, and I thank everyone involved in this process for their faith in me as I take this role.”

Lauritsen is the university’s first female athletic director since 2001. Doreen Zierer held the position from 1995-2001.

“I am thrilled to welcome Britt Lauritsen and her wife, Emily, to Beaver Athletics and the Bemidji community,” incoming BSU president John Hoffman said. “She knows how to build a vision and culture of winning that starts in the classroom and shines through athletic competition.

“Even more important is her commitment to students, which is grounded in fair play, integrity and equity — hallmarks of Beaver Athletics. I am truly excited to work for her.”

Lauritsen transitions to Bemidji State after serving as the assistant athletic director and senior women’s administrator at Washburn University in Kansas, a role she has held since 2014. She was also a compliance extern in 2013 at the Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis athletic department, where she worked with the NCAA Eligibility Center to help monitor 16 Division I sports.

Micah Friez / Bemidji Pioneer

Lauritsen earned her bachelor’s degree in pre-professional studies with an emphasis in pre-medicine from Saint Mary-of-the-Woods in Indiana. She also earned her Juris Doctor from Indiana University’s Robert H. McKinney School of Law.

Additionally, she was a four-year member and three-time captain of the Saint Mary-of-the-Woods women’s soccer team.

Salary pay for the position ranges from $93,442 to $149,510 per year, depending on experience, according to BSU’s job posting. Lauritsen will oversee Bemidji State’s 15 intercollegiate teams and report directly to Hoffman.

Lauritsen was one of four finalists for the BSU position, and she was on campus on April 29 to go through the hiring process and to present a forum to the public. She beat out fellow finalists Josh Daume and Darryl Pope for the job. The last finalist, Chad Markuson, accepted the same position at Minnesota State Moorhead during Bemidji State’s hiring process.

Dill has served as BSU’s athletic director for nine years. He took over for Rick Goeb in 2013 after the university decided to not renew Goeb’s contract. Goeb was at the helm for Bemidji State athletics from 2001-13.