Debbie Snell

In her fourth year at the helm, Dr. Debbie Snell was named the Executive Director of Athletics at Hawai‘i Pacific University on May 15, 2021, becoming the 11th athletic director in the history of HPU.
 
Snell came to HPU after serving as the Director of Athletics at Holy Names University for five-and-a half years from 2015-2021, serving on numerous NCAA and PacWest Conference committees and is the PacWest athletic directors’ liaison for men’s and women’s basketball.
 
A veteran athletics administrator, Snell was the director of athletics at Texas A&M International from 2007-09, and has served as associate vice president for compliance and athletic programs at Union (Tenn.), associate director of athletics at California Baptist, associate director of athletics at Dominican (Calif.), associate director of athletics for compliance and academics at Campbell, and assistant director of athletics/senior woman administrator and compliance coordinator at Palm Beach Atlantic.
 
Snell has also taught and coached at the high school and junior high levels.
 
She has been a specialist in assisting institutions in the NCAA membership process, helping transition six institutions into NCAA Division II. She currently serves on the NCAA Division II Membership Committee.
 
Snell is a distinguished member of National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), serving in NACDA’s women’s mentoring program. She is also heavily involved with the National Association of Collegiate Women Athletic Administrators (NACWAA), the National Association of Athletic Compliance (NAAC), the National Association of Athletic Academic Advisors (N4A) and NASPA, Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education.
 
Snell holds three degrees from the University of Arkansas, holding a bachelor’s degree in physical education, a master’s degree in kinesiology, and a doctorate in higher education management.
 
She played basketball for Arkansas in the late 1970s leading the Lady Razorbacks in scoring in 1977-78, and still holds two UA records for her play on the hardwood.