Selmon Brings ‘It’ Factor To Mississippi State
New Bulldog athletic director has personality and pedigree to elevate MSU.
Joel Coleman, Senior Writer
1/13/2023
STARKVILLE – Numbers play such a key role in sports. Folks like statistics. It’s an easy way to see who has the most this, or who’s leading in that.
Yet there are some things that can’t be measured but are instead felt. State President Mark Keenum knows all about that. It’s a primary reason Keenum was standing behind a podium at MSU’s Bryan Athletic Administration Building on Friday introducing Zac Selmon as the school’s 18th Director of Athletics.
“That ‘It’ factor,” Keenum said. “You know it when you see it [when a] person has got ‘It’. Well, Zac Selmon has got ‘It’.”
Selmon’s ‘It’ has Mississippi State’s athletic future shining brighter than ever before. That much was obvious Friday as the now-former University of Oklahoma deputy athletics director stood in front of the Maroon and White family for the first time. Selmon’s words assured he is a man with the presence, personality and pedigree to lead MSU into the future.
The fit was clear from his very first spoken words as a Bulldog.
“Happy Maroon Friday,” Selmon began with a big smile across his face.
Everything Selmon said Friday and everything he’s done in his past would lend itself to indicate plenty more joyous Bulldog days are coming. That’s because that ‘It’ factor of his is built on a firm foundation of family, faith, character and experience.
FAMILY
Selmon is a family man, and it’s not just because he carries with him one of the most well-known names in all of college sports.
Selmon’s father, Dewey, and his uncles Lee Roy and Lucious were all three All-American football players at Oklahoma in the 1970s. But more than descending from gridiron greatness, Selmon is a product of strong parenting.
Dewey, along with Selmon’s mother Kathryn, sat in the audience on Friday watching on as their son took the reins of Mississippi State athletics. Selmon became emotional as he thanked them.
“You’re blessed when you have two great parents and they taught us a lot growing up,” Selmon said. “They taught us how to love people. They taught us how to serve people. But also, how to work hard.”
While Selmon voiced his appreciation for his mom and dad, a pair of little eyes were beaming as they stared at Selmon. His oldest daughter, Shayne, and youngest daughter, Rylee (known affectionately as Meatball) looked on with adoration for their father. In fact, Meatball clung to Selmon before duty called at the microphone.
Meanwhile, Selmon’s wife, Rachel, was by his side as well, just as she always is either physically or emotionally.
“My wife and my teammate,” Selmon said of Rachel. “Rachel is the rock of our family and allows us to [have] so many of these opportunities.”
It was Rachel, in fact, who provided the best indication of how seamless of a transition this is shaping up to be for the Selmons.
“Rachel told me [Thursday] night, ‘This is home,’” Selmon shared. “Sometimes it takes you time to get acclimated to places, but it hasn’t been that. We got on campus [Thursday] and just walked around and going through campus [Friday] morning, it’s unbelievable the pride you have here. We’re just so excited to be here…If there’s one word I can say, it’s grateful. Just really grateful to be here.”
Grateful to be at MSU, and grateful for those closest to him that have been there every step of the way.
FAITH AND CHARACTER
Selmon’s loved ones helped mold the character that shines through in all he now does.
“Our family has been driven by faith,” Selmon said.
That faith has produced a servant’s heart.
Selmon and his sister, Shannon, are co-founders of the Shine Foundation. It’s a nonprofit dedicated to serving those in need, especially children, at home and abroad.
The beginnings of the organization can be traced back to Kathryn.
“It really starts with my mom,” Selmon said. ‘My mom had a doll collection growing up and when my dad was blessed to play for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, they had an auction to auction off her dolls. It was a fundraiser; I think it was Guys and Dolls was what it was called. [It included] a couple of dad’s teammates and it really instilled in us to live is to give and help other people…I think we’ve always seen the impact when you give back to other people.”
Giving back is what Selmon is all about. It’s all he’s known and seen throughout his whole life.
Kathryn started a homeless shelter in Oklahoma in the 1980s that’s still open today. Later, one of Selmon’s sisters worked for nonprofit group Samaritan’s Purse, where she “fell in love” with a little girl that Kathryn and Dewey adopted without even meeting.
Selmon was playing football at Wake Forest at the time of the adoption.
“I got evicted from my own room at home,” Selmon said. “My mom called and said, ‘Hey, your room isn’t your room anymore.’ They needed the space. It shows the heart of my parents.”
Kathryn and Dewey ended up adopting two other children as well. It all inspired Selmon and Shannon as they began the Shine Foundation.
“It’s not [about] us, it’s just we can be in the right place at the right time,” Selmon said.
Right place. Right time. Through his faith, Selmon has tried to be in that position throughout his life and now, he finds himself in Starkville where his selfless nature can be aimed at making Mississippi State succeed across the board.
“I know I’m directly responsible for our student-athletes and our coaches,” Selmon said. “Our responsibility is to the entire institution, and we will protect the integrity of our beloved institution.
“We always look at college sports as, ‘How can you make an impact? It doesn’t matter where you’re at. What matters is the people and the environment you’re at.”
Selmon is also self-aware. He knows he can’t accomplish his ambitions alone. Selmon’s aim is to lead a charge where everyone works hand in hand to serve each other and lift each other up.
“It’s going to take all of us,” Selmon said. “It’s going to take a collaborative effort to reach our goals and potential.”
EXPERIENCE
If Selmon, the person, isn’t impressive enough. Selmon the athletic administrator solidifies this as a home-run hire for Mississippi State.
When someone leaves a job, how they’re spoken of by those they left behind is telling. Well, Selmon has served under Oklahoma athletic director Joe Castiglione for years. The longtime leader of the Sooners couldn’t speak any higher of Selmon.
“What a spectacular hire by Dr. Keenum and Mississippi State University,” Castiglione said. “It’s been a true privilege to have Zac on our staff from his beginnings as a graduate assistant to his current role as deputy AD. We know he will be a visionary leader for MSU and the SEC. He’s genuine and authentic and helps make everyone around him better.”
Castiglione would certainly know. Selmon was in charge of OU’s external engagement and advancement. He led Oklahoma’s stakeholder relations, including the Sooner Club and annual giving. Selmon also provided sport oversight for football and led strategic communications, marketing, licensing, multi-media rights, brand management and fan engagement.
Prior to that, Selmon spent five years as senior associate athletics director for administration and development at OU. In that time period, Oklahoma set annual giving records in 2018 and 2019. In 2020, philanthropic giving hit its highest point in OU athletics history.
Prior to Oklahoma, Selmon was an associate athletics director and special assistant to athletics director Bubba Cunningham at North Carolina. Like Castiglione, Cunningham has nothing but praise for Selmon.
“Zac is an outstanding leader and will be a terrific Director of Athletics,” Cunningham said. “He is student-focused, believes in strong teamwork and opportunities and does everything he can to ensure a great experience for everyone, including student-athletes, fans and the community.”
Before his career in administration, Selmon was a four-year starter as a tight end for Wake Forest University where he was a dean’s list scholar.
So, Selmon has excelled as a student. He’s succeeded as an athlete. He’s climbed the ladder and impressed each step of the way in athletics administration.
Put simply, he’s everything Mississippi State could possibly want.
“He has been a leader,” Keenum said of Selmon. “He understands what student-athletes face today. He’s lived it. He’s done it, and that brings a lot to a person in this position, being able to provide leadership to our department.”
Of course, the reality is that college athletics is a business, too and…
“I wanted someone who understands the business,” Keenum said, also adding more. “I wanted someone who understands the changes in college athletics. Name-image-likeness. The transfer portal. NCAA transformation. Conference realignment. I wanted someone who understood all this and could help bring strong visionary leadership.”
Considering the entire package, Selmon was State’s man.
“We wanted the best leader, and we absolutely found the best leader,” Keenum said.
WOW
Of course, finding a new leader at MSU means handing out a new cowbell.
Keenum passed one to Selmon on Friday.
“How about that,” Selmon said before clanging the bell loudly. “It’s like Christmas!”
As Selmon rang his new prized possession, it officially rang in a new era of Mississippi State athletics. The Bulldogs have their head Dawg, and he’s thrilled to be guiding the pack.
“I’m honored to be here at Mississippi State, where extraordinary happens every day,” Selmon said. “We will lead with integrity, hard work and respect, and we will continue the inherent drive to be the best and shine light on the future.”
It’s easy to shine when the man in charge carries with him wherever he goes his ‘It’ factor…and more.
“When I would mention [Selmon’s] name [to high-level college athletics administrators], the reaction that I got quite frequently was, ‘Wow. You’re talking to Zac Selmon? Wow,’” Keenum said. “So not only does Zac Selmon have the ‘It’ factor. He has the ’Wow’ factor. That’s pretty special.”
