Cal Poly’s new athletic director comes to SLO from Stanford

Cal Poly has named a deputy athletics director at Stanford University to take over for retiring athletic director Don Oberhelman in San Luis Obispo.

President Jeffrey Armstrong made the announcement and introduced Carter Henderson at a news conference in the lobby of the Performing Arts Center on Thursday afternoon.

Henderson currently serves as deputy athletic director for external relations at Stanford, which he joined in 2021. Before that, he spent 10 years as an associate athletic director at the University of Washington and began his career in athletics at Jacksonville University.

Oberhelman announced his retirement on June 9 earlier this year after being head of Cal Poly Athletics for more than 14 years.

“​​What impresses me most is Carter’s comprehensive experience from strategy and operations to people management, communications and fundraising,” President Jeffrey Armstrong said after he announced Henderson’s hiring.

Cal Poly currently fields 19 NCAA Division I programs, competing primarily in the Big West Conference, with football in the Big Sky and wrestling in the Pac-12.

“What struck me about Cal Poly, and it’s why I’m so excited to take on this new role, is how intertwined Learn by Doing is throughout the university — including within athletics,” Henderson said in the university’s news release. “Learning by doing means practicing, trying, failing, getting back up, improving, succeeding. That continual improvement resonates with me, and I look forward to helping our Mustangs pursue even greater athletic and academic success.”

New athletic director arrives at Cal Poly at a key moment

Henderson steps into the role at a pivotal time for Cal Poly Athletics.

The recent approval of the House college sports settlement has reshaped the NCAA landscape by expanding scholarship limits and introducing direct revenue sharing with athletes.

While power conference schools benefit from lucrative media contracts and deep-pocketed boosters, mid-major programs like Cal Poly face uncertainty about how much financial support they can realistically provide.

Though the NCAA has set a $20.5 million revenue-sharing limit for how each school can pay its athletes this school year, Cal Poly is expected to operate well below that threshold, making strategic leadership critical as the program navigates this new era.

At the same time, Henderson’s tenure will coincide with the completion of the John Madden Football Center, a $45 million facility set to open in early 2026 that represents one of the largest investments in the history of Cal Poly sports.

In response to the House settlement, Cal Poly Athletics launched the Mustangs Player Trust earlier this spring, a fundraising initiative designed to allow supporters to contribute directly to individual student-athletes or programs.

“The reality is I would not be here if I didn’t think we, together, could do some really special things,” Henderson said in his introductory remarks. “But in order to do those things, we’re going to need a lot of support. … I want you to have a vision for what we’re trying to do here, and why it matters to the institution.”

Cal Poly president salutes outgoing athletic director

After announcing his retirement, Oberhelman remained in the role until a successor was named.

“No university has won more Big West Championships in the last 15 years than Cal Poly,” Armstrong said at the news conference. “So Don’s leaving with a winning record, including the Big West Commissioner’s Cup.”

In the news release, Armstrong said the university conducted a national search and “the candidates who expressed interest was very high.”

“Cal Poly is known for producing student-athletes who excel on the field and in the classroom. As we searched for a new athletic director to carry our momentum forward, it became clear that Carter’s background and experience would be a tremendous benefit to the university,” Armstrong said in the release. “He has the vision and strategy and the deep experience with operations, communications and fundraising to help our student-athletes and our coaches reach even greater heights.”

Henderson is moving to the Central Coast with his wife Lindsey and their two children.

His tenure as athletic director will officially begin on Oct. 13.

This story was originally published September 25, 2025 at 3:09 PM.