UMBC Athletics Adds Torchia, Spence and Brown to Administration Staff
UMBC Athletics has added three new members to its administration as the Retrievers continue building out their leadership team under Director of Athletics, Physical Education and Recreation Tiffany D. Tucker.
The department announced that Karin Torchia has been named Senior Associate Athletic Director and Deputy Title IX Coordinator, Anjuwon Spence will serve as Associate Athletic Director for Development and Revenue Generation, and Cierra Brown has been hired as Executive Assistant to the Athletic Director.
All three arrive with backgrounds across different areas of college and professional sports, giving UMBC additional experience in administration, fundraising, ticketing, external relations, event operations and student-athlete support.
Torchia brings more than two decades of Division I experience
Torchia comes to UMBC after a lengthy tenure at Rider University in Lawrenceville, New Jersey.
She had been Rider’s Senior Associate Director of Athletics for External Operations and Development and Senior Woman Administrator since 2005. Torchia originally joined Rider in 2000 as Associate Director of Athletics for External Operations and Development and also served as an adjunct professor in the university’s master’s program in athletic leadership.
Before arriving at Rider, Torchia worked at both the Atlantic 10 Conference office and the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. She is also a two-time graduate of West Virginia University.
That background gives UMBC a veteran administrator who has spent decades working within Division I athletics and understands both the internal and external sides of an athletic department.
Torchia said she was attracted to UMBC’s commitment to excellence, innovation and the overall development of student-athletes. She also said she looks forward to working with Tucker, UMBC’s coaches, staff, alumni and campus community while helping advance the department’s long-term vision.
Her role as Deputy Title IX Coordinator also gives her an important responsibility in an era when athletic departments continue to navigate compliance, student welfare and the rapidly changing landscape of college sports.
Spence tasked with growing revenue and relationships
Spence’s hiring could be particularly important for UMBC as schools throughout Division I search for new ways to generate revenue.
He arrives after nearly three years working in the Washington, D.C., and Maryland markets.
Most recently, Spence served as General Manager of Sales and Service for Georgetown University and Legends Global, where he oversaw revenue-generation efforts. Before that, he spent two years as Director of Sales for Ticketing, Premium and Fundraising with the University of Maryland and Legends Global.
His previous experience also includes two years as Manager of Ticket Sales at Penn State and five years as Assistant Director of Ticket Sales and Operations at George Washington University. He graduated from Ohio Wesleyan and later earned his master’s degree from Georgetown.
At UMBC, Spence will lead development and revenue generation, putting him in a position to work directly with alumni, donors, corporate partners and other supporters.
That has become an increasingly significant area for athletic departments.
College athletics continues to change through NIL, revenue-sharing discussions, increased operating costs and greater competition for donor and sponsorship dollars. UMBC has already acknowledged those challenges publicly. When the school extended men’s basketball coach Jim Ferry in April, Tucker specifically referenced the changing NIL landscape and possible revenue-sharing opportunities for student-athletes.
Spence’s background in ticketing, premium sales, fundraising and revenue development gives the Retrievers someone with direct experience in several areas that can help an athletic department expand its financial base.
Spence said he plans to build relationships with alumni, donors, campus partners and supporters while helping UMBC increase resources available to its student-athletes.
Brown adds experience across college and professional sports
Brown joins UMBC after building experience throughout the Baltimore-Washington sports market.
She previously held several roles at Coppin State, including Director of Football Operations, Senior Woman Administrator Special Assistant and Special Events Coordinator. She also served as MEAC Volleyball Tournament Director.
Brown’s résumé goes beyond college athletics.
She has also worked with the Baltimore Ravens, DC Defenders of the XFL and Baltimore City Recreation and Parks after graduating from Delaware State.
That combination gives Brown experience in event management, team operations and athletic administration at multiple levels.
As Executive Assistant to the Athletic Director, Brown will work closely with Tucker and the department’s leadership structure as UMBC prepares for another academic year.
UMBC continues reshaping athletic department
The three appointments come during a period of considerable activity around UMBC Athletics.
The department has made several significant personnel moves in recent months.
Men’s basketball coach Jim Ferry received a multi-year extension in April after leading the Retrievers to an NCAA Tournament appearance. UMBC then added longtime St. Bonaventure coach Sean Neal to Ferry’s staff in July.
Baseball also experienced a major change when longtime coach Liam Bowen left UMBC in June to become Towson’s head coach. Bowen had spent 15 years with the Retrievers as an assistant and head coach and guided UMBC to a 29-24 record and the No. 2 seed in the America East playoffs during the 2026 season.
UMBC has also been navigating changes in women’s lacrosse and softball during 2026, adding to what has already been a busy year behind the scenes for the athletic department.
The additions of Torchia, Spence and Brown therefore represent more than three isolated hires. They give Tucker additional administrative support at a time when UMBC is managing coaching changes, fundraising demands and broader changes across Division I athletics.
MSB Take
These are three very different hires, but that may be exactly what UMBC needs.
Torchia brings the veteran administrative background. Brown brings experience with operations and organizations throughout the local sports community. Spence may have one of the most important assignments of the group because revenue generation has become essential for every Division I athletic department.
UMBC has never operated with the financial resources of the biggest programs in the region, so finding ways to strengthen relationships with sponsors, alumni and donors can make a significant difference.
The Retrievers have shown they can compete nationally when individual programs get momentum. Men’s basketball’s historic NCAA Tournament success remains the most obvious example, while several other UMBC programs have consistently competed for America East championships.
Building a stronger administrative foundation can help create more of those opportunities.
With Torchia, Spence and Brown now joining the department, Tucker continues putting her leadership structure in place as UMBC Athletics enters the 2026-27 academic year.
