NORTHFIELD, Minn. - St. Olaf College Athletic Director Kelly Mahlum announced the hiring of Connor Kern as associate athletic director for budget and compliance on Monday.
 
A former student-athlete at fellow Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) member Gustavus Adolphus College, Kern comes to the Hill with four years of experience in athletic administration at a pair of NCAA Division II Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) institutions. Kern's start date is set for Monday, August 4.
 
"Connor is an excellent addition to St. Olaf, and we are thrilled to welcome someone with his experience and background to the Hill," Mahlum said. "His professional expertise and dedication to student-athlete success will greatly benefit our staff, coaches, and athletic programs. Connor's role will be instrumental in supporting the integrity and operational effectiveness of our department. I look forward to having him join our athletics leadership team and the broader St. Olaf community."
 
In the newly-formed role, Kern will be a senior member of the department's leadership team, will oversee the operating budget, and will ensure compliance with institutional, NCAA, and MIAC rules and regulations. He will also manage all financial reporting, including the annual completion of the EADA Report, will coordinate a comprehensive rules compliance program, will oversee Title IX and gender equity components of the department, and will serve as the sports supervisor for up to six sports.
 
"I am excited to join the St. Olaf community," Kern said. "As a former MIAC student-athlete, I have always had a lot of respect for St. Olaf - both on and off the field. I am looking forward to building on the program's success and supporting the growth of our student-athletes. I want to thank Athletic Director Kelly Mahlum and the search committee for believing in me. My family and I can't wait to get involved at St. Olaf and in the Northfield community."
 
For the last two years, Kern served as the associate athletic director for internal operations at St. Cloud State University, overseeing an athletic budget of over $14 million and the compliance team, among other areas. He also performed annual budget construction for athletics, sports facilities, and campus recreation, approved all purchasing within the athletic department, completed all financial reporting for the department, and oversaw the wrestling, baseball, women's cross country, and women's track and field programs.
 
Prior to his time at St. Cloud State, Kern was the assistant athletic director for business operations at Northern State University from 2021-23. At Northern State, he oversaw an athletic budget of over $7 million, managed the financials for the NSU Foundation Wolves Club, assisted in developing the department's strategic plan, and provided oversight of the baseball and cheer programs, among other responsibilities.
 
Kern graduated from Gustavus with a bachelor of arts in public accounting in 2017 and earned a master of science in coaching and athletic administration from Concordia University-St. Paul in 2023. After graduation, he worked in the private sector in accounting and quality control positions for five years before entering the collegiate athletics landscape. While at Gustavus, Kern played four years of baseball for the Gusties, starting 25 of his 30 appearances on the mound.
 
Kern is a member of the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) and the Business of Small College Athletics (BOSCA) organizations and participated in the BOSCA Leadership Academic from January through April 2025.