R.D. Montgomery
Fellow
R.D. Montgomery is a Gardner Institute Fellow focused on advancing the student-athlete experience through institutional transformation. He is helping lead the development of the Strengthening the Student-Athlete Experience learning track for A Symposium on Transforming the Postsecondary Experience, where higher education leaders will explore evidence-informed strategies for strengthening academic momentum, engagement, and holistic support for student-athletes.
Montgomery also serves as Associate Director of Student-Athlete Success at the University of Richmond, where he leads initiatives that prepare student-athletes to thrive beyond graduation. Through Richmond’s Spider Performance (SP4) program, he develops and oversees comprehensive strategies that connect academic success, career readiness, mentoring, alumni engagement, and campus partnerships to support the holistic development of student-athletes.
Drawing on his experience as a Division I student-athlete, collegiate coach, and higher education leader, Montgomery brings a unique perspective to the evolving role of athletics in advancing student success. His work focuses on helping institutions create integrated support systems that strengthen the academic and co-curricular experience of student-athletes while preparing them for lifelong personal and professional success.
Before joining the University of Richmond, Montgomery spent nine years as an assistant football coach at Bucknell University, mentoring student-athletes while coaching multiple position groups. He also brings experience from the private sector, providing additional insight into leadership, career development, and organizational success.
Montgomery earned a Bachelor of Arts in History from Wake Forest University, where he was a four-year football letter winner and also lettered in basketball.