Nate Burton was announced as Furman’s new senior associate athletics director for external affairs and revenue generation on March 3, 2025.
Burton comes to Furman following a decade at West Virginia State University, where he served as Athletics Director for seven years and, most recently, as Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics since May of 2024. He spent his first two years as Director of Development at WVSU before being appointed AD.
"We are thrilled to add a leader of Nate Burton's caliber and experience to our athletics leadership team," said Donnelly in making the announcement. "Nate will bring energy, enthusiasm, and expertise to our external team and will make an immediate impact on revenue generation by guiding our Timmons Arena sales process to completion. Please join me in welcoming Nate and his family to Furman and the Upstate community."
"I am grateful to Jason Donnelly and the search committee for demonstrating the trust and confidence in offering me this incredible opportunity to join Furman Athletics," said Burton. "I'm looking forward to working with our talented staff, passionate alumni, and the Greenville community in building on the success of each of our 19 programs."
A key member of the director of athletics' executive leadership team, the senior associate athletics director for external affairs will assist the department in providing strong vision, leadership, management, coordination, and oversight of athletics external operations. These responsibilities will include oversight of athletics revenue generation, marketing, communications, ticket sales, corporate sponsorships, licensing, and branding with a focus on Greenville, Upstate South Carolina, and national growth and recognition.
A large part of Burton's role will be to build upon the success of Furman Athletics during the past few years. Athletics has demonstrated remarkable growth in external affairs with its Furman Family culture, connection to the community, and emphasis on engagement with students, faculty, staff, alumni, and fans. The Paladins have set records in game day attendance, ticket revenue, licensing, and media exposure and will look to build upon these strategies and accomplishments in years to come.
At West Virginia State, Burton served as a member of the President's cabinet and headed up a 17-sport NCAA Division II program.
In addition to overseeing budget, personnel, game day operations, policies, and procedures, he created external programs for annual support and sponsorships that generated more than $4.2 million since 2016, while also completing $3.5M in facility improvements, including turf for football/women's soccer, baseball, and softball fields, lights for football/women's soccer, and resurfaced tennis courts.
Burton also developed the athletic department's first strategic plan.
He served as a member of the NCAA Division II Men's Basketball National Committee, NCAA Division II Think Tank, Division II ADA Board of Governors, and chair of the Mountain East Conference Committee of Athletics Administrators.
Prior to going to West Virginia State, he served as assistant director for athletic development at UNC Wilmington in 2013 following a one-year stint as assistant director of external relations at High Point University.
Burton's new position at Furman will mark his second work experience in the Upstate of South Carolina. He began his professional career as a Clemson IPTAY Scholarship Fund intern in 2011, assisting the foundation while also working with the athletic department's marketing effort for men's soccer.
Burton is a 2009 graduate of Washington & Jefferson (Pa.) College, where he was a four-year starter in basketball and team captain his senior year. He earned a Master's in Sport Management from Marshall University in 2011.
He is the father of two children, Arabella and Sean.
