Moeller High School names new athletic director

CINCINNATI (FOX19) - A Moeller High School graduate with an experienced and successful business, fundraising and education background is the new athletic director, the private all-boys Catholic school announced Monday.

Justin Bayer will begin work July 1.

The 1997 graduate ran cross country and track and then went on to direct the school’s campus ministry and retreats after graduating from college, according to a news release.

Bayer said in the prepared statement he is “honored, humbled, and incredibly excited to serve as the next athletic director for Moeller High School”.

“The minute I saw the job description, I couldn’t think of another opportunity that matches my professional experiences, natural aptitudes and passions,” Bayer said.

“I’m honored to work alongside a committed administration team who is focused on making Moeller the best high school in the country, humbled to be the next leader of a proud legacy of impacting the lives of past, current, and future Men of Moeller, and incredibly excited to continue to build a championship culture.”

Moeller President Marshall Hyzdu described Bayer as a passionate, servant leader with a love for Moeller who exemplifies the school’s “hold the door” value of putting others first, according to Moeller’s news release.

But Bayer does not come from an athletic background - and that’s just what school officials say they wanted.

In filling the AD position, Moeller modeled the approach used by universities and colleges and consulted with the AD’s at the University of Cincinnati, University of Dayton, University of Louisville, Indiana University and others who work in higher education athletic departments, according to the news release.

At many schools, the athletic directors come from law and business backgrounds.

“We are shifting the model from the traditional AD who was focused on scheduling games, attending all games, setting up for games and more, and focusing on building a first class culture, enhancing the fan experience and advancing the school’s mission,” Hyzdu said.

Specifically, Bayer will focus on:

Building a first-class culture in every aspect of Moeller athletics, from facilities to how student athletes carry themselves within the school and the community.
Enhancing the fan experience with a customer service approach to game days by focusing on how alumni and the broader community experience Moeller.
Advancement. Moeller has an unrivaled brand nationally, which provides donors the opportunity to invest in an area they are most passionate about, which in this case is athletics.

Bayer brings the experience and skill set that Moeller was seeking.

After earning a business management bachelor’s degree from the University of Dayton and a master’s degree in higher education administration from the University of Vermont, Bayer returned to Moeller as director of campus ministry and retreats after graduating from UD.

He then went on to work at both of his alma maters, serving as Assistant Director of Admissions at the University of Vermont. Director of Development at University of Dayton, where he raised more than $2 million.

Bayer then became a start-up entrepreneur, launching Welcome to College in 2010 in Dayton then relocated to New Orleans in 2015.

Welcome to College offers a software platform and consulting services to help higher education institutions optimize the campus visit experience. The company’s Ambassador Management Software is being used by over 50 colleges across the US and Canada, including schools like Carnegie Mellon, Cornell, LSU, Penn State, Tulane, and University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

Bayer will remain on the Welcome to College Board of Directors but hand over day-to-day management of the company to his brother, Kevin Bayer, 1999 Moeller alum.

“When you consider what we were looking for in an AD, Justin is the guy,” Hyzdu said. “He’s never been a head coach, but that’s the old model. The new model is bringing in experienced business people and lawyers to run the athletic department, and that is the approach we are taking.”

Bayer said his goals as AD include:

Strive for academic excellence for all student athletes;
Develop a championship culture within each athletic program;
Provide dynamic athletic experiences for all stakeholders.
Create annual athletic giving club.

Bayer said after 20 years of gratifying professional and personal experiences in Vermont, Dayton and New Orleans, he is looking forward to returning to Moeller and Cincinnati with his wife, Megan, and their three children - Rosie, 16, Julia, 13, and Joey, 10.

“The Moeller family is real, and it is special,” Bayer said. “The Marianist values of faith, community, and service combined with the people who embody these values and live those out a daily basis create an incredible educational environment. If you want to attend a high school where you feel fully alive every day, then attend Moeller High School.”

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