HAMILTON – Colgate University's Fred '50 and Marilyn Dunlap Head Football Coach Curt Fitzpatrick has rounded out his inaugural staff with the hiring of Lynn Mentzer as the program's director of operations.

Mentzer comes to Colgate after spending the last two seasons working with the National Football League as a project coordinator. There, she coordinated information related to special events including the Super Bowl, NFL Draft, Combine, and more. Among her general administrative duties, she assisted in the strategy, governance, and oversight of finance and budgeting. 

"Lynn's passion for football was evident during the interview process, and her previous experiences at multiple Division I programs makes her a perfect fit for our inaugural staff here at Colgate," Fitzpatrick said. "A great Director of Operations is the 'glue' that holds a football program together. I am confident that Lynn will be a tremendous asset to our program in navigating all the logistics and details that go into playing championship caliber football."

Prior to her time in the NFL, Mentzer served as the director of football operations for Missouri State from 2018-2022. During her time in Springfield, Mo., Mentzer oversaw comprehensive travel logistics, managing arrangements for athletes, staff, administration, and guests. She also assisted in the development of finance and budgeting, recruitment and training, social media, and other administrative duties.

"In my career, I have been fortunate to work at the highest level of football with my time at the NFL, as well as being a part of eight conference championships and eight NCAA playoff appearances," Mentzer said. "I am beyond excited to join Coach Fitzpatrick, who has a proven track record of leading winning football teams, and his staff as they bring this Colgate program back to championship football."

Mentzer returned to her alma mater, Coastal Carolina, as a football operations assistant in 2001, where she served multiple roles through 2017. She started as an office assistant before working her way up to an operations assistant, a post she held from 2005-2017. 

Mentzer graduated from Coastal Carolina in 2005 with a Bachelor of Science in Business Management.