Brown’s Athletic Director’s Compensation Jumps to $1.5 Million, While Program Flounders

Brown’s Athletic Director’s Compensation Jumps to $1.5 Million, While Program Flounders

 

 

The latest Form 990 filing by Brown University shows that the athletic director's compensation has skyrocketed.

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This, while the Brown’s athletic program continues to flounder under Grace Calhoun's leadership

 

According to the most recent IRS [2025] filing, her compensation has jumped to $1,557,104.

 

The level of compensation is unprecedented for the University and for similar positions.

 

It is a 46% one-year increase, as Calhoun was paid $1,064,933 the previous year, according to Brown’s 2024 IRS Form 990 filing. 

 

Remarkably, Calhoun is the fourth-highest-compensated executive at Brown University.

 

Only Jane Dietze, Brown's VP and Chief Investment Officer, who received $4,043,871; President Christina Paxson, who was paid $1,953,784; and Joshua Kennedy, Managing Director, who received $1,657,221, were paid more at Brown.

 

Calhoun's compensation is more than that of the athletic director at Providence College, Steven Napollillo, who receives $724,044, and the University of Rhode Island athletic director Patrick Lyons, who earns $350,000 combined. Both Providence College and URI play in higher-level conferences.

 

Brown’s varsity sports programs continue to flounder, especially the top men’s programs.

 

Just One of Six Had a Winning Record in the Ivy League

Of the top six men’s programs — football, soccer, ice hockey, basketball, lacrosse, and baseball — just one team had a winning program in the Ivy League.

 

Football finished tied for 6th in the league with a 2-5 record. Brown has not had a winning record in the league since Barack Obama was President.

 

Men’s soccer finished 5th with a league record of 2-4-1.

 

The Winter Was Even Less Kind

Men’s ice hockey finished second-to-last — 3-6-1 in the league.

 

And, men’s basketball was 3-11 — last in the conference.

 

 

Springs Eternal, Not

For Brown Lacrosse — once a national power — it was another disappointing season.

 

Men’s lacrosse was just 1-5 in the Ivy League — it has been a cruel decade of decline for the Bears.

 

In May of 2016, the school highlighted, “Brown's magical run to the NCAA Final Four ended in overtime as the Bears fell to Maryland, 15-14, before a crowd of 33,137 at Lincoln Financial Field in the NCAA National Semifinals.” 

 

Baseball was the one outlier for the men’s teams. The team finished 13-8 in the league.  It was the only one of the six men’s sports with a winning record in the Ivy League.

 

Overall, the top six men’s programs' combined record in the Ivy League was 24 39-2.  — a 38% conference winning percentage.

 

Women’s Sports Were More Competitive, But Top Programs Fall

Brown’s women’s soccer, which has been a power in the Ivy League in recent years, fell to fourth with a 3-2-2 record.  And field hockey also finished fourth — a 4-3 record.

 

The Winter Sports — Bottom Dwellers

While Brown women’s basketball finished last in the league with a 3-11 season.

 

And, women’s ice hockey finished fifth of the six teams with a 3-6-2 record.

 

Spring Winners

Women’s lacrosse was 4-3 in the Ivy League, and softball was 11-9, and both teams finished fourth.

 

Overall, women’s sports finished with a 28-34-4 record in the Ivy League, with a winning percentage of 45%.

 

While Calhoun's salary continues to climb, the program languishes.

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