Andrew Stafford joined Lenoir-Rhyne University in 2024 as the Assistant Athletic Director for Compliance, bringing a diverse background in NCAA compliance, student-athlete development, and athletic administration. As Assistant AD at LR, Stafford leads the department’s NCAA compliance operations, ensuring adherence to institutional, conference, and NCAA rules and regulations.
Stafford arrived in Hickory from Elon University, where he most recently served as Assistant Director of Compliance. At Elon, he was responsible for a wide range of compliance functions including the development of the institution’s Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) policy, initial eligibility certification, and rules education for student-athletes and staff. He also oversaw institutional compliance systems through the ARMS platform and coordinated with campus partners in Admissions, Financial Aid, Residence Life, Academics, and the Bursar’s Office to ensure holistic compliance support for the athletic department.
Before transitioning into compliance, Stafford spent two years at Elon as Assistant Director of Student-Athlete Services. In that capacity, he designed and implemented personal and professional development programming for over 400 student-athletes across 17 sports. He advised the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), launched a financial literacy curriculum, created two for-credit leadership development courses, and facilitated Title IX and gender violence prevention education for staff and athletes.
Stafford earned his Master of Science in Sport and Recreation Leadership from James Madison University in 2019 while working for the JMU football program under former LR head coach Mike Houston. He served as Assistant to the Head Coach following a successful stint as an operations and recruiting intern.
A 2015 graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Stafford holds a bachelor’s degree in Exercise and Sport Science with a concentration in Sports Administration.
