Nathan Pine is the Director of Athletics at the U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colorado. Pine came to Academy from Holy Cross, where he led the Crusader program as the Director of Athletics from 2013 to 2018.
Since his arrival, Pine has ushered in a period of success unseen before at the Academy. In terms of comprehensive competitive excellence, in the 2023-24 season the U.S. Air Force Academy finished as the top service academy in the Learfield Director’s Cup, the top program in the Mountain West Conference for the fourth straight year (only the fifth time in program history), and 76th nationally across all 350 Division I institutions. In 2023-24, individual and team highlights included an individual national championship in men’s gymnastics, three conference titles, 14 player of the year honors (second most in program history), four coach of the year awards and the third straight year with a school-record 57 athletes earning All-America honors. The Falcons also completed a four-year run in football with a 40-12 overall record, the school’s first appearance in the College Football Playoff poll and a fifth consecutive bowl win.
The Academy has also experienced record-breaking fundraising numbers each year since 2019, including new highs in both the total number of donors and the total dollars raised. This began with a full rebuild of the fundraising program into the Falcon Athletic Fund in the summer of 2019. Formerly known as the Falcon Pride Club, the Falcon Athletic Fund increased engagement and established published giving levels and donor benefits, professionalizing the development operation from top to bottom. The Falcon Athletic Fund is responsible for generating private resources to provide a margin of excellence support and a first-class athletic experience for more than 1,000 cadet-athletes across 27 intercollegiate sports.
Pine has also focused on working to grow the U.S. Air Force Academy brand and increase national exposure using the athletics platform. In February 2020, the Academy hosted the 2020 NHL Stadium Series in Falcon Stadium to a sellout crowd of 43,500. The event had an ad value of $14.32 million and a national publicity value 25% higher than a typical NHL game. The game also brought significant resources to the Academy for hosting and an estimated $17.5 million to the local Colorado Springs economy. During his tenure, the Falcons have also extended their partnership with Nike to remain the exclusive apparel provider and grow brand awareness, while the Academy has also added industry leader Paciolan to the team for ticket solutions and its donor ecosystem along with Learfield Amplify for outbound ticket sales. The Falcons have also reached a multiyear agreement with Altitude Sports and Entertainment as a third-tier television rights holder to bring Falcon sporting events to more than 13 million homes in the greater Colorado region starting in 2022.
During his tenure, Pine has also overseen several important coaching hires and key extensions. In 2020, the Academy announced the return of Joe Scott to lead the men’s basketball program. Pine also ensured continuity within the football program after the 2023 season by signing head coach Troy Calhoun to a multi-year extension through 2029. Other head coach additions have included Macey Donathan in volleyball, Katarzyna Dabrowa in men’s and women’s fencing, Josh Loeser in men’s gymnastics, Jennifer Green in women’s gymnastics, Ryan Cole in men’s and women’s track and field, Laura Busby in women’s soccer and Taylor Hollander in women’s tennis. In addition, he oversaw the transition in women’s basketball from Chris Gobrecht to long-time assistant Stacy McIntyre.
Facility improvements continue to be a constant area of focus and investment at the U.S. Air Force Academy. Athletics broke ground in 2023 on a long-awaited $90 million Falcon Stadium renovation on the east side, which opened for the 2024 season. The Cadet Field House has also seen extensive improvements in Clune Arena and the Cadet Ice Arena. The baseball stadium has received new turf, outfield fence padding, and a new pitching area. The field was renamed Erdle Field, and a $15 million fundraising campaign was announced in 2024 to provide 600-plus chairback seats, permanent concessions, restrooms and a new press box. The project will also see renovations to both dugouts, along with a new home clubhouse that will feature a locker room, nutrition station and training room.
Pine is active at the national level and represents the U.S. Air Force Academy on the NCAA Men’s Baseball Committee; previously he served on the NCAA Division I FCS Football Committee, the NCAA Division I FCS Athletic Director’s Association Executive Committee and NCAA Rifle Committee. He currently works at the league level with the other athletic directors and the conference office to maximize the student-athlete experience, generate additional exposure and revenue for the Mountain West Conference and Academy. In addition, he has been appointed to the LEAD1 Association Board of Directors.
Prior to his time at Holy Cross, he served as the Deputy Director of Athletics at the University of Maryland. Pine also spent three years at the University of California at Berkeley, four years at the United States Military Academy, and five years at Oregon State University. A native of Eagle Point, Ore., Pine received his bachelor’s degree in marketing and international business from Oregon State University and a master’s degree in education from the University of California at Berkeley.