Driven to enhance higher education by maximizing the student-athlete experience, Tory Lindley is proud to serve as Lake Superior State University’s ninth Director of Athletics. Tory’s leadership stint began in 2023 as he manages the NCAA Division I Men's Hockey Team, 13 NCAA Division II teams in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) and two ACHA hockey programs. In addition, Lindley manages the University Norris Center and community-facing operations of the historic Taffy Abel Arena.
Since arriving in Sault Ste. Marie, Tory has worked the LSSU Senior Management Team and athletic department staff to create visibility and positive energy around the Laker brand through several enhancements, including but not limited to:
- Execution of multiple athletic facility branding improvement projects
- Increased premium hockey seating and fan amenities
- Initiated and executed a Name, Image and Likeness Partnership with Influencer
- Completed the addition of NCAA Women’s and Men’s Swimming and Diving teams
- Successful execution of the Men’s Basketball Locker Room renovation capital campaign
- Increased Athletic Training Staff support of Laker student-athletes
- Revision and enhancement of the Athletic Website
- Creation of the Superior Ice Showdown in Traverse City, MI
- Enhanced campus-wide digital promotion of Laker Athletics
- Creation of premium seating and hospitality in Bud Cooper Gymnasium
- Increased corporate partnerships through the One Anchor Sponsorship program
- Lead a 150% increase in Student-athlete community service and outreach
- Cultivating relationships with alumni and donors to foster a strong spirit of student-athlete support and giving back, including developing and executing engagement strategies.
- Striving to build generational leaders, in 2024-25 LSSU boasted:
o 103 Conference academic awards earned (92 GLIAC, 11 CCHA)
o Five First-team All-Conference Selections
o 13 All-conference Selections
o 25 Conference Players of the Week Selections (14 CCHA, 11 GLIAC)
o 3.35 Accumulative Student-athlete GPA
Mr. Lindley, a native of Suttons Bay, MI, brings 17 years of experience in Division I administrative experience and over 30 years of leadership experience and staff management to LSSU. From 2021-23, Lindley served at Youngstown State University as their Deputy Athletic Director. In his time at YSU, he created external partnerships resulting in multi-faceted healthcare services agreements, provided a performance enhancement services reorganization and performed key roles in strategic planning, and advancements in equity and inclusion. In addition to supervising all units tasked with delivering the student-athlete experience, Lindley served as sport administrator for both Volleyball and Women’s Lacrosse while also serving as a performance enhancement advisor to the Penguins storied Football program.
Other career highlights for Lindley include serving as the National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA) President for three years where he managed responsibility over the association's $10.5 million operations budget. He served in multiple management roles at Northwestern University from 2002-20, including Senior Associate Athletic Director, Associate Athletic Director, and Assistant Athletic Director. As sport administrator for the Volleyball and Wrestling programs, he supported the coaches and student-athletes to academic, Big Ten and national competitive success. Lindley has given over 160 professional presentations on leadership, risk management and sports medicine related topics.
Lindley’s leadership and administrative skill set were built early in his career as an Assistant Athletic Director at Eastern Michigan University, Staff Athletic Trainer at Michigan State University, and service as the Head Athletic Trainer at NCAA DIII Hamline University. Development of a holistic well-being approach to collegiate athletics was refined by Lindley’s healthcare administrative experience in the NFL, USFL and WWE. Tory has degrees from Michigan State and the University of Minnesota and is a published author in over a dozen peer-reviewed journals and publications.
A 2023 inductee into the NATA Hall of Fame, Lindley is a member of the IATA Hall of Fame, a 2016 recipient of the GLATA Golden Pinnacle Award and was named the 2012 NCAA’s Division I Athletic Trainer of the Year. He currently chairs the task force that created and manages of the Interassociation Collegiate Standard of Care Toolkit for collegiate athletics and is the NATA Liaison to the National Association of Collegiate Athletic Directors.
Tory and his wife Beth enjoy the vistas and spectacular four seasons provided by Michigan’s Eastern Upper Peninsula. A career successful social worker and administrator, Beth and Tory are proud of their three adult children. Jonah manages a thriving trades business in Knoxville, TN. Evan, a former All-American volleyball student-athlete at NYU, is a food scientist and chef in Chicago. Genevieve is an educator and school social worker in Chicagoland.
Collegiate Administrators’ perspectives:
Julie Roe Lach, Commissioner of the Horizon League, speaks highly of Mr. Lindley's accomplishments at Youngstown State University. "From the moment Tory joined the YSU staff as Deputy Athletics Director, he was a strong contributor on campus and in the Horizon League. His leadership at the national level with NATA led to a comprehensive student-athlete well-being model that our members are now using. In every dealing with Tory, he ensured the holistic student-athlete experience was central to the decision-making process. We will miss him in Horizon League, yet we’re excited for this next chapter in his athletics administration career!"
"Tory is an incredible leader who brings a wealth of knowledge to the Athletics Director role at Lake Superior State University," stated Commissioner Dr. Jim Phillips of the Atlantic Coast Conference. "Throughout his tenure, he has been unwavering in his support for student-athletes, and I congratulate LSSU's leadership on their hire for this significant role. A sincere and heartfelt congratulations to Tory and his wife, Beth, and the entire Lindley family."
