Mark Elliott to Retire After 2026–27, Closing an Era of Growth for Trevecca Athletics

Photo / Trevecca Athletics

NASHVILLE, TN — Mark Elliott, the long-serving director of athletics at Trevecca Nazarene University, will retire at the end of the 2026–27 academic year, closing a 16-year tenure that helped reshape Trojan athletics from a developing program into a sustained NCAA Division II contender.

Elliott’s leadership has spanned three transformative eras: Trevecca’s transition to NCAA Division II, the creation of the Great Midwest Athletic Conference, and the Trojans’ more recent move to the Gulf South Conference—an adjustment approved for membership effective July 1, 2024. Under his watch, Trevecca also built an athletic culture defined by Christian-Scholar-Athlete priorities, expanded opportunities for student-athletes, and earned consistent national academic recognition.

Trevecca President Dan Boone introduced Elliott as the University’s 13th director of athletics on July 12, 2011, one day after the NCAA accepted Trevecca’s application to begin the Division II membership process. Elliott officially began on July 18, 2011.

“Sixteen years ago, we sat in my office and talked about the role of Trevecca’s athletic director,” Boone said. “His clear focus on the priorities of Christian-Scholar-Athlete was as aspirational then as they are visible now. Mark Elliott has served the University as a man of faith, a mentor to coaches, and an example to athletes.”

Elliott said his planned retirement will not change how he leads through his final year. “There is no sunset here. I intend to sprint through the finish line,” he said, adding that the timing calls for “new vision, new eyes, and new leadership.”

A founding conference leader, Elliott helped guide Trevecca into the Great Midwest as a charter member and served in the early league period in an administrative leadership role. He later led Trevecca through the Gulf South transition, positioning the Trojans in a more regional Division II footprint.

On the academic side, Trevecca’s performance has mirrored the department’s mission. In the NCAA’s 2025 Academic Success Rate report, the Trojans posted a 94 percent ASR, ranking No. 12 among 311 Division II institutions, while earning the NCAA Presidents’ Award for Academic Excellence for the seventh consecutive year.

As Elliott concludes his tenure, Trevecca notes that his legacy will be measured not only by conference transitions and postseason breakthroughs, but also by departmental growth—nearly doubling to about 400 student-athletes—while staying centered on developing Christian scholars and athletes.