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Brian Thornton was officially announced as the Big 12 Conference’s Vice President of Men’s Basketball in October of 2024 following a three-year stint as the Commissioner of the Western Athletic Conference. He joined the Big 12 with over two decades of experience in college basketball as a student-athlete, coach and administrator.
In this role, Thornton will oversee all operations of Big 12 men’s basketball as it maintains and grows its status as the premier league in college basketball. In addition to managing officiating, sportsmanship, and scheduling, Thornton will partner with Commissioner Yormark to ensure the league continues to cultivate strong relationships with student-athletes, coaches, and administrators, as well as third parties such as media partners and commercial partners. Additionally, Thornton will partner with the Big 12’s Chief Marketing Officer and brand team to elevate and contemporize Big 12 men’s basketball off the court, as well as the Championship experience for student-athletes and fans.
A standout basketball student-athlete at Xavier, Thornton was a first-team all-conference selection in 2006, a CoSIDA Academic All-American, and a two-time Atlantic 10 Student-Athlete of the Year. Following his collegiate career, Thornton played oversees in Germany, later returning to collegiate athletics in the coaching ranks with stints at Furman, Winthrop, Ball State, and his alma mater.
Thornton pivoted from coaching to administration when he joined the NCAA as Assistant Director for Basketball Development. His time in Indianapolis was followed by a tenure as Associate Commissioner for Basketball at the American Athletic Conference, a role that preceded him being named Commissioner of the WAC on November 4, 2021.
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