Erin Hanson was named deputy director of athletics at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse in February 2016. Hanson had served as the university's interim deputy director of athletics since August 2014.
Hanson is in her 15th year at UWL after serving as the assistant athletic director for operations in 2013-14 and as the athletics event coordinator from 2011-13. In her role as deputy director of athletics, she supervises internal operations within the athletic department including event management, facilities, athletic training, sports performance, camps & clinics and student-athlete wellness as well as advising the student-athlete advisory committee.
She is also responsible for the financial management of the athletic department, determining the financial needs of programs and assisting in the preparation of the annual operating budget while serving as the department liaison between Business Services, the Budget Office and Human Resources. Hanson handles UWL's compliance and eligibility management as deputy director of athletics, directing and ensuring departmental compliance with all National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) and National Collegiate Gymnastics Association (NCGA), federal, state and local rules and regulations. She oversees the NCAA student-athlete eligibility certification and monitors prospective student-athlete recruitment.
Hanson has served as the Meet Director for several national events, including the 2015 NCGA Championships, 2015 NCAA Division III Baseball Midwest Regional, 2017 NCAA Division III Wrestling Championships and 2018 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships. She authored the successful bid for UWL to host the NCGA Championships in 2015.
She has also played vital roles in the athletic program's efforts to host the NCAA Division III Wrestling Championships (2012, 2017, 2024 ) and the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships (2013, 2018, 2026) and supports the numerous WIAC championship and NCAA Regional events that UW-La Crosse hosts throughout the year.
Prior to arriving at UWL, Hanson was the coordinator of sports services with the Colorado College Department of Athletics from 2009-11. She was the coordinator of event management, working with women's (NCAA Division I program) and men's soccer, women's volleyball, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's lacrosse (NCAA Division III programs). She was also the event manager for the Tigers' NCAA Division I men's hockey program. Along with her duties in event management, Hanson served as an athletics administrator and marketing assistant at Colorado College.
Hanson was the Tigers' assistant softball coach in 2007-08 before taking over as interim head coach from 2008-09. She was also an assistant director of athletics from 2007-09 at Colorado College as she earned the NCAA Division III Ethnic Minority and Women's Internship. Hanson was the event manager for men's soccer, women's volleyball, men's and women's basketball, and men's and women's swimming & diving from 2007-09.
A former Eagles' softball player, she earned her undergraduate degree in fitness from UWL in 2005 and her master's degree in sport administration from UWL in 2007.
