Jaquish & Kenninger Director and Chair of Athletics John Donahoe announced the appointment of two Deputy Athletics Director roles on Tuesday, further strengthening the department’s executive team with a pair of respected industry leaders.
Tyler Jones has been named Deputy Athletics Director, Chief Operating Officer, while Larissa Fontaine will serve as Deputy Athletics Director for Olympic Sports and Student-Athlete Success. Both positions will report directly to Donahoe.
“We are fortunate to have Tyler and Larissa on board, and I am excited for the impact they will make as leaders of our organization."
John Donahoe
Jaquish & Kenninger Director and Chair of Athletics
“Their appointments reflect a renewed commitment to strategically modernize our operating model and ensure we are delivering a world-class student-athlete experience.”
Jones served as the Deputy Athletics Director, Chief Strategy Officer and General Manager at Virginia since July 2025, two years after joining the department as Deputy Athletics Director for External Operations.
Jones will lead day-to-day operations for the department and be responsible for all revenue and marketing-related activities. Jones will oversee commercial efforts, marketing, communications, branding/storytelling, facilities, capital projects, fan experience, community engagement, and digital strategy. Jones will also spearhead the execution of the department’s strategic plan.
“I am thrilled to welcome Tyler and his family to Stanford,” said Donahoe. “Tyler is a dynamic, highly collaborative and proven leader whose versatility and enthusiasm make him a perfect fit for our department as we navigate the changing landscape within collegiate athletics. Tyler’s wide-ranging experiences across multiple institutions have prepared him well for this critical role as we continue to modernize and enhance our organizational efforts across the board.”
“I want to sincerely thank John Donahoe for this opportunity and look forward to collaborating with such accomplished coaches and dedicated staff at the most prestigious university in the country.”
Tyler Jones
Deputy Athletics Director, Chief Operating Officer
“Stanford’s mission to inspire people around the world to value the simultaneous pursuit of excellence in both academics and athletics deeply aligns with my personal values. John’s vision for the student-athlete experience and how Stanford Athletics can reinforce its reputation as a leader through change is equally challenging and exciting.”
Fontaine returns to The Farm after spending the last 20 years at leading technology companies, including Google and YouTube, where she built and scaled teams, led billion-dollar businesses and developed partnerships across industries and platforms. Fontaine also maintained a deep connection to collegiate and Olympic sports as a Trustee for the Women’s Sports Foundation, member of the Stanford Athletics Board, member of the Leadership Council for the Positive Coaching Alliance, and as an athlete representative for the US Olympic Committee’s Athlete Advisory Council, where she held leadership roles supporting programs for athlete training and post-competition transitions to professional careers.
Responsible for advancing the end-to-end student-athlete experience, Fontaine will lead the effort to align academics, athletic performance, health and well-being, leadership development, and career readiness into a cohesive system that delivers results. Fontaine will oversee sport administration, academic advising, career development, sports performance, and gender equity.
“Larissa brings an extremely unique perspective, investment level and personal connection to Stanford,” said Donahoe. “Larissa’s decorated career as one of our most recognizable student-athletes served as the springboard to a successful professional career, at some of the world’s most respected companies, in which she has demonstrated senior leadership experience, operational discipline, strategic thinking, and complex problem-solving. Larissa is passionate about empowering the next generation of Stanford student-athletes while optimizing every aspect of the student-athlete experience.”
“I am excited to be rejoining Stanford Athletics at this critical moment and am grateful for John’s leadership in charting a compelling vision for our path forward,”
Larissa Fontaine
Deputy Athletics Director for Olympic Sports and Student-Athlete Success
“Our student-athletes, coaches, staff, and faculty are world class, and I look forward to working with this incredible group to expand our legacy of outstanding athletic achievements and exceptional student-athlete experiences. My own journey was highlighted by Final Four appearances for both men’s and women’s basketball, a Rose Bowl appearance for football, and our first individual national championship in women’s gymnastics, among many other incredible moments. I am thrilled to be back on The Farm and supporting our next generation of champions.”
------
During his tenure at Virginia, Jones provided strategic leadership of various external units, including ticket sales and operations, marketing and fan engagement, athletic communications, creative services, video services, and broadcast and event productions. In addition to his role as the primary contact for the department’s multimedia rights holder, Virginia Sports Properties, and the University Licensing Committee, Jones has also served as sport administrator for the football, men’s tennis, and women’s tennis programs.
Jones possesses extensive experience as Chief Strategy Officer and General Manager, overseeing Virginia’s revenue generation verticals. Jones served as the department’s CAP Manager for football, men’s basketball, women’s basketball and baseball, developing and managing the roster budget and all funding components, including scholarships, revenue sharing and other student-athlete benefits.
Prior to his tenure at Virginia, Jones spent two years (2021-23) at Northwestern as the Executive Senior Associate Athletics Director for Revenue Generation and Strategic Initiatives. Jones served as Deputy Director of Athletics for External Operations at Cleveland State from 2019-21. Jones also spent six years (2013-19) on the athletics marketing/fan development staff at Ohio State.
Jones was a standout on the Eastern Michigan football team. During his senior season, Jones was elected captain, named the team’s most valuable player and tied the NCAA Division I record when he hauled in 23 receptions in a victory over Central Michigan. Following the conclusion of the football season, Jones captained the Eastern Michigan basketball team.
Jones earned his undergraduate degree in marketing and business, and a Master of Science degree in sport management from Eastern Michigan.
------
Fontaine most recently served as Chief Product Officer at Grupo QuintoAndar, an international real estate company backed by global investors with a valuation of $5B. She led product management, user experience design, and product marketing while serving as a c-level member of the executive team. Prior to QuintoAndar, Fontaine was the Vice President and General Manager of Google One, a leading subscription offering from Google. She led a cross-functional team that included product management, engineering, user experience design and research, partnerships, strategy, marketing, and operations, to deliver best-in-class user experiences and successful business outcomes.
Fontaine also held leadership roles across mobile app distribution, YouTube, and Google search experiences. She led the Global Apps Business Development team for Google Play, working with developers around the world to drive product innovation and business performance across all Android platforms. At YouTube, Fontaine led global strategy and new business development, evolving the organization’s strategy, structure, and operating model to enable next-level scale and growth. She also led the effort to create professional content for the platform, developing the framework for partnerships across all verticals while being responsible for millions of dollars of investment in original sports content.
Fontaine is one of the most decorated gymnasts in school history, capturing the program’s first NCAA individual title in 1998 on vault while guiding the Cardinal to its first Pac-10 crown that same season. A five-time All-American, Fontaine was a team captain her senior year and ranked as the top gymnast in the nation in the all-around for three straight weeks and, until 2026, held the program’s top mark in the all-around.
Fontaine served as an assistant coach with the Cardinal women’s gymnastics program from 2000-05 and received regional assistant coach of the year honors in 2005. Throughout Fontaine’s tenure, she coached 15 NCAA All-Americans, two Pac-10 championship teams, and the first Super Six team in program history. Fontaine was inducted into the Stanford Athletics Hall of Fame in 2012.
A 1994 World Championships team silver medalist and nine-time USA National Team member, Fontaine’s contributions to the sport reached an even higher level in January 2026, when she was appointed to serve on the Board of Directors for USA Gymnastics. Fontaine owns four degrees from Stanford, earning a BA in English, BS in Mechanical Engineering, MS in Mechanical Engineering, and an MBA from the Graduate School of Business.
Elevate led the search for Stanford's Deputy Athletics Director, Chief Operating Officer.
