Matt Finlayson was named Director of Athletics at Mitchell College in June 2021, and has since led the Mariners through one of the most successful stretches in the department’s history.
Under Finlayson’s leadership, Mitchell College Athletics has experienced unprecedented competitive success across multiple sports. Over the past four years, the Mariners have captured seven conference championships and earned six NCAA Tournament appearances—including hosting an NCAA Division III Baseball Regional for the first time in school history.
Finlayson also successfully navigated Mitchell’s transition from the New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) to the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC), a significant realignment that has positioned the Mariners for sustained competitive growth. He currently serves as the GNAC Sport Chair for Baseball, and was a member of the GNAC Rebranding Committee playing a key role in shaping the future identity of the conference.
Off the field, Finlayson has helped cultivate a vibrant athletic culture centered on alumni engagement and student-athlete development. He launched the Mariner2Mariner initiative in 2021, a now cornerstone program that brings alumni student-athletes back to campus for roundtable discussions with current teams. Entering its fifth year, Mariner2Mariner has been widely praised for fostering mentorship, professional networking, and meaningful connections between generations of Mariners.
Finlayson has also been instrumental in driving fundraising efforts to all-time highs, significantly enhancing the department’s ability to support capital improvements, facility upgrades, and the overall student-athlete experience. His leadership was vital in reviving the Athletics Hall of Fame, celebrating the college’s proud athletic heritage and reconnecting alumni with the program.
Before coming to Mitchell, Finlayson served as Assistant Athletic Director at Salve Regina University, where he focused on community engagement, game day operations, alumni development, and sponsorship growth. His earlier roles included General Manager and President of the Ocean State Waves of the NECBL, and Director of Baseball Operations at the University of Rhode Island.
A native of Higganum, Conn., Finlayson is a proud graduate of Salve Regina University, where he was a three-time all-conference third baseman, and the 2008 Commonwealth Coast Conference Senior Scholar Athlete. He graduated as the program’s all-time leader in both games started and stolen bases. He later earned a Master of Science in Sports Management from the Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst.
