LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Three University of Louisville administrators have been elevated to the title of Assistant Athletic Director within the department, Director of Athletics Josh Heird announced Friday.
Zach Brooks (Assistant AD for Capital Projects and Administration), Rachael Cosgrove (Assistant AD for Development) and Marissa Manko (Assistant AD for Business Operations) have all been advanced within their evolving roles with the university.
“Zach, Rachael and Marissa have all made a tremendous impact on the department over their 26 years of combined service to the University of Louisville Athletic Department,” Heird said. “They are proven leaders who have earned the opportunity for increased responsibility and a more prominent role within the department. I am grateful for their commitment to excellence in all that they do.”
Zach Brooks
Brooks has worked at UofL since 2008 and most recently served as Executive Director of Development Operations since 2018.
In his new role, Brooks will oversee capital projects and the University of Louisville Golf Club, as well as serve as liaison to the KFC Yum! Center, while assisting with various reporting requirements within the business office.
Additionally, Brooks will act as sport administrator for men’s soccer, women’s golf and men’s golf, as well as assist on special department projects.
In his previous role, Brooks oversaw all internal operations of the CAF, coordinated communication to donors, managed various seating projects, organized postseason and special event tickets for donors, secured major gifts and managed a portfolio of 125-plus individuals and businesses, and acted as a liaison to university advancement on CAF matters.
Brooks helped oversee the move from Freedom Hall to the KFC Yum! Center, as well as the previous seating expansions at L&N Stadium. He also developed and implemented The Cardinal Trust initiative to raise funds to support Red & Black Scholar rewards, summer school and degree completion program.
Brooks earned his bachelor’s degree in sport administration and exercise science from UofL in 2008. The Paducah, Ky., native was also a manager for the Louisville women’s soccer team as a student.
He and his wife Brittany have one son, Graham.
Rachael Cosgrove
Cosgrove joined the Cardinal Athletic Fund full-time in 2015 after serving as an intern for the department for one year and had most recently served as Senior Director of Development since 2020.
In her new role, she’ll be responsible for CAF’s focus on soliciting and securing major gifts, as well as supervising the major gifts and annual fund staff.
Her duties will include securing major gifts and managing/stewarding a donor portfolio of 150-plus individuals and businesses, securing new commitments for premium basketball and football areas, managing premium seating and parking inventory, managing the Cardinal Athletic Fund budget, overseeing the Women of Influence program and events, and assisting in all hiring of CAF staff.
Cosgrove will also continue to serve as sport administrator for field hockey and softball. She was recently named Vice-Chair of the ACC Field Hockey Committee. Additionally, she will assist in special projects assigned by Deputy Athletic Director/Senior Woman Administrator Amy Calabrese. She’s also the Team Lead for the Athletic Department’s World Changers group, which is a 10-member working group charged with providing solutions to increase employee engagement and decrease burnout.
In her previous work at UofL, Cosgrove helped create the Women of Influence program in 2017 to connect powerful women in the community to Louisville’s female student-athletes. She also helped develop and launch The New Standard, a $10 million campaign dedicated to enhancing the female student-athlete experience.
She was a member of the inaugural adidas internship group at Louisville in 2014, as well as a member of the department’s inaugural Leadership Development Institute cohort.
Cosgrove came to Louisville in 2015 after a year as the Director of Business Development for the Texas Legends.
She received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Richmond in 2012, where she double majored in rhetoric & communications and journalism, along with being a member of the women’s basketball team. She completed her master’s degree in sport administration at UofL in 2015.
Cosgrove and her husband Emmett have one son, Cru.
Marissa Manko
Manko joined UofL in August 2021 and previously served as Athletic Business Manager.
In conjunction with Louisville Athletics Chief Financial Officer Nick Bowes, Manko will work on oversight of business operations including budget, finance, accounting, travel, accounts payable, accounts receivable and reporting. Together they will oversee the annual budget process and work as liaisons to the university on all business matters.
Additionally, Manko will help assist coaches and department heads with annual budget preparation, as well as review and approve purchase requisitions, travel expense vouchers, and procurement card charges for assigned sports and operational areas. She will also oversee the monthly reconciliation process for athletics, manage student-athlete medical insurance and coordinate with on-site Anthony Travel representatives.
Manko is a graduate of the Women Leaders in College Sports Institute for Advancement during her time at UofL.
Prior to arriving at Louisville, she served as Athletics Operations Manager (Business Operations) at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, where she acted as chief administrative officer on behalf of numerous financial and operational areas.
Manko’s previous experience includes the private sector at a law firm and event staffing organization, as well as basketball coaching and officiating, and pro sports group ticket sales.
A Washington, Pa., native, Manko received a bachelor’s degree in sport management with a minor in coaching from Slippery Rock in 2013 and a master’s in leadership with a sports concentration from Duquesne in 2016.
She and her husband Dominic Morales reside in New Albany, Ind.
