Princeton Names Cara Holdsclaw, PhD Senior Associate Director of Athletics For External Relations
11/20/2025
Princeton University Ford Family Director of Athletics John Mack ’00 announced today that Cara Holdsclaw, Ph.D. has been named Senior Associate Director of Athletics for External Relations. As a member of the senior leadership team, Holdsclaw will be responsible for the strategic development and execution of all marketing, brand management, ticketing, athletic communications, and multimedia efforts for Princeton Athletics and will serve as a sport administrator for selected varsity programs.
“I'm thrilled to welcome Cara and her family to Princeton,” Mack said. “She's a proven and dynamic leader with a long track record of making a positive impact on the organizations where she has worked. Her unique blend of broad experience across college and professional sports, her previous tenure working in the Ivy League, and her own career as a Division I student-athlete are just a few of the many reasons why Cara is the perfect fit for Princeton.”
Holdsclaw previously served as the Senior Associate Athletics Director of External Affairs for Columbia Athletics from 2020-24. She arrives at Princeton after most recently serving as the Chief Operating Officer at IBE Inc. from 2024-25. As COO, Holdsclaw managed all internal operations, marketing, communications, revenue generation, and partnerships for a nonprofit that hosts two nationally recognized events, Summer Celebration and the Circle City Classic football game. In addition, Holdsclaw recently served as a member of the 2025 WNBA All-Star Host Committee in Indianapolis.
"I am honored and excited to join the Princeton Athletics team," Holdsclaw said. "I am grateful to John Mack for this incredible opportunity. Princeton represents the intersection of tradition, excellence, and innovation, and I’m thrilled to help shape the next era of Princeton Athletics. I look forward to elevating our visibility, enhancing the fan experience, and strengthening a united external presence that reflects who we are and where we’re headed.”
During her tenure at Columbia, Holdsclaw was responsible for the strategic direction, oversight, coordination, leadership and active participation in the revenue generation and external functions for the Athletics department. Holdsclaw also led all diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts as the first Chief Diversity Officer and created the We Roar Together committee comprised of student-athletes, coaches, and administrators. Holdsclaw also headed up all Name, Image, and Likeness activity and education for the Lions.
Holdsclaw was the recipient of the 2024 Charles A. Whitcomb Service Award, presented by the Minority Opportunities Athletic Association (MOAA) and the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA). This award recognizes and celebrates individuals/administrators who foster diversity and inclusion within the intercollegiate athletics community. Holdsclaw was also selected for the 2024 NACDA Senior Administrators Mentoring Institute and the National Sports Forum and Business of Diversity in Sports & Entertainment (BDSE) 2023 cohort.
Holdsclaw has also had stints in professional basketball as Director of Business Operations with the LA Clippers and as an Account Executive for the Indiana Fever with Pacers Sports & Entertainment. A prior stop in collegiate athletics saw Holdsclaw serve jointly as Associate Athletic Director of Business Administration/SWA and Assistant Professor of sport management at Alabama A&M University.
Holdsclaw earned a Ph.D. in Sport Management from Indiana University in 2012. In addition to her doctorate work, she was involved as a graduate advisor for Hoosier Sports Business Organization, served as an assistant in the IU Athletics department, and volunteered in the IU Athletics marketing department. She spent a total of four years in Bloomington as she graduated in 2009 with a Masters in Sports Management. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in communications management from the University of Dayton in 2006, where she also played on the women's basketball team.
The former Cara Wright married Chamique Holdsclaw in 2016. The couple has two children: a son, Cairo and a daughter, Camdyn.
