Joe Thuente joined UCM Athletics in the summer of 2024 as the Senior Associate Athletic Director for External Relations. Thuente is responsible for oversight of all external revenue generation departments for the Mules and Jennies. This includes marketing, ticket sales and operations, sponsorship, communications, creative services and development.
This is Thuente’s first stint at the Division II level, as he worked in Division I athletics for 14 years before his arrival at UCM. Thuente came to Warrensburg after serving as the Senior Associate Athletic Director for External Affairs at the University of South Dakota in from 2022 to 2024. There he had oversight of marketing, tickets, communications and creative services. Prior to that he was the Associate Athletic Director for Marketing and Communications at the University of New Mexico from 2019 to 2022, overseeing marketing, communications, Lobo TV and creative services efforts for the Lobos.
Thuente’s roots are in athletics marketing. From 2018-2019, he was the Assistant AD of Marketing at the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA). He was also the Assistant AD of Marketing at the University of South Dakota from 2014 until 2018. In both roles, he had oversight of all marketing and promotions efforts, enhanced ticket sales, wrote and implemented the run-of-show and oversaw gameday production. His first job in college athletics was at Northwestern University, where he was the Assistant Director of Marketing from 2010 until 2014. Thuente worked with several of the Wildcats’ programs in increasing their revenue and attendance, enhancing gameday experience.
Thuente is a native of Johnston, Iowa, and earned a degree in business management from University of Northern Iowa in 2009. He received his master’s in intercollegiate athletics leadership from University of Washington the following year. He resides in Warrensburg with his wife, Jen, son, Kellan, and daughter, Sophie.
