Carter Toole serves as the Executive Associate Athletic Director for Strategic Communications and the athletic department’s Chief of Staff. He joined the Hurricanes as the Associate Athletic Director for Communications & Digital Strategy in 2016 and was promoted to Senior Associate Athletic Director in 2017 before assuming his current role in 2022.
Toole serves as the department’s chief communications officer and provides high-level executive support to the Vice President/Director of Athletics, directing planning, research, analysis and execution for department-wide initiatives and the overall strategic plan. He develops and manages benchmarks for all varsity sport programs, serves as the chief copywriter for athletic department communications, oversees media relations operations, serves as the department liaison for campus-related communications matters and assists with special projects. He chairs the Football Ring of Honor Committee and serves on the Board for the University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame & Museum. Toole is also the sport administrator for the swimming and diving and women’s tennis programs. When he was Senior Associate Athletic Director of Communications & Digital Strategy, Miami’s communications staff won its first two Football Writers Association of America Super 11 Awards in 2018 and 2021.
Toole previously co-owned a Nashville-based marketing agency, Wheelhouse Marketing Advisors, which was acquired by a local technology firm (Atiba) at the end of 2015. Before launching Wheelhouse he served as Vice President, Digital, at another Nashville firm, January & Associates.
Prior to entering the agency business, Toole worked in the National Football League for nine seasons with four teams. After public relations stints with the Green Bay Packers, Tennessee Titans and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he joined the Houston Texans as the club’s first Director of Internet Services & Publications. He was part of the Texans’ communications staff that won the Pete Rozelle Award in 2004 as voted on by the Pro Football Writers Association of America. He also authored the book Opening Night on Houston’s return to the NFL. Toole has worked eight Super Bowls as a member of the NFL’s media relations staff.
Toole started his sports communications career in the media relations offices at Arizona State University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in English.
A native of Alexandria, Va., Toole and his wife, Barbara, have two daughters.
