St. Olaf Athletics recently hired Connor Kern as Associate Athletic Director of Budget and Compliance. Kern joins the athletic department with Kelly Mahlum, who, after serving as the 2024-2025 Interim Athletic Director (AD), was announced as the permanent AD in March 2025. Kern’s previous roles were at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II level, serving as Assistant AD for business operations at Northern State University in Aberdeen, S.D., and then Assistant AD for internal operations at St. Cloud State University.
A former pitcher at Gustavus Adolphus College and Minnesota native, Kern has enjoyed his Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) homecoming.
“I’ve always wanted to be in the MIAC,” Kern said in an interview with The Olaf Messenger. “I love the MIAC student experience. I feel as though there are a lot of similarities to draw between Gustavus [Adolphus] and St. Olaf.”
As a public accounting major, Kern envisioned himself as a CFO or CEO in the private sector. But after a few years working outside of collegiate athletics, Kern missed being around sports. Alongside the administrative responsibilities of managing an athletic department’s budget and compliance strategy, Kern also loves the interactions he has with student athletes.
“I love getting to meet different student athletes … and seeing them around campus. I think I’m more integrated into St. Olaf than I have been at other positions because I’m working directly with students in a larger capacity,” Kern said.
Kern believes his most important role as associate AD is supporting Kelly Mahlum in her first full year as the college’s AD. After former Athletic Director Ryan Bowles passed away from cancer in June 2024, Mahlum had to carry a lot of weight while serving as interim AD. Now with Kern, she has an extra person to bounce ideas off of and help out with various tasks.
“That’s what I’m really excited about. Just being the role player for the [athletic] department and help us move forward,” Kern said.
Working alongside Mahlum and the rest of the athletic department, Kern is excited about St. Olaf Athletics’ strategic plan.
“We want to be great,” Kern said. “St. Olaf is great in so many facets of education, and we want to make sure that Athletics is on that same level of being excellent and committed to being that. I want a place that’s, like, ‘let’s drive, let’s push, let’s keep going, and let’s see how we can get ourselves to the next level.’”
Kern, who wore the black and gold of Gustavus Adolphus College, now wears St. Olaf’s black and gold with pride, going so far as getting his four-year-old son to sing “Um! Yah! Yah!” and not his alma mater’s “Gustie Rouser” around the house. You can find Kern, and his son, at various St. Olaf Athletics events throughout the year.
