NYU Athletics announced Nikki Webb as the university’s first associate athletic director for student-athlete health and performance on Thursday. In the role, Webb is responsible for supporting student-athletes both in competition and in training, while focusing on the wellness of NYU’s athletic programs. 

Webb worked with the Violets for over 15 years — starting as head athletic trainer in 2006 and finishing her tenure in 2022 as an assistant athletic director, before taking up a senior position at Major League Soccer. At MLS, she served as medical administration senior coordinator and manager of medical administration. 

“I’ve been away for only four years, but despite that, there’s been a tremendous amount of change,” Webb told WSN. “I am not a person who likes to come in and make immediate change. I want to understand why the changes were made so that we can again evaluate whether we’re doing things the best way, or if we need to continue and adjust.”

After Webb’s departure from NYU, former athletics director Stuart Robinson was fired following an investigation into sexual harassment allegations against him. Eight months later, the university brought on Jake Olkkola to fill the position. Over the past few years, NYU’s varsity sports have also experienced a boom in success — taking home national championships and program-high finishes in basketball, swimming and diving, cross country and wrestling. 

As associate athletic director for student-athlete health and performance — a common role in professional sports organizations — Webb will aim to promote a “collaborative, data-informed approach to decision-making,” according to Olkkola. Webb said that she hopes to utilize new technologies to improve the communication between NYU’s teams and the staff who help care for athletes’ physical and mental health.

“By establishing a role dedicated to these priorities, we are investing in a more integrated model of student-athlete support, one that values success both in competition and in the classroom, while preparing our students for life beyond NYU,” Olkkola said in a statement to WSN. 

Webb worked for a combined five years at Division I programs at Columbia University and the University of South Florida, where she also earned a Bachelor of Science in wellness leadership. In those roles, she primarily focused on supporting the schools’ basketball programs. 

As the department establishes her position, Webb’s top priority is communication. All categories of athletes — from court sports, to field sports, to distance and endurance sports — have different requirements for training and maintenance. NYU alone has nearly 500 student-athletes competing across 23 different programs, and Webb now oversees all of them. 

“NYU Athletics is such a specific and unique place — I would say that it’s very different than any other athletic program in the country,” Webb said. “I do have knowledge of the unique experience of a student athlete at NYU, and because of that, I can think creatively on the best way to support them because of this unique environment.”

Although Webb has worked extensively in the professional sports organization realm, her passion remains for the collegiate field. Student-athletes face a rigorous academic curriculum as well as a demanding training schedule — and helping them navigate those ups and downs while also growing throughout their time at NYU is where Webb thrives. 

“Our programs are fantastic,” Webb said. “I really am encouraged that this unique position can again take them to the next level with the wonderful foundations that are already in place.” 

Contact Kiran Komanduri at [email protected].