In a day and age where women in football – regardless of what level – is becoming more the norm than the aberration, Harvard took that a step further on Friday afternoon.

Head coach Andrew Aurich and the Crimson announced that Katie Patton has been named the program’s Director of Football Operations. Patton is now the only female DFO in the Ivy League and is both Harvard’s first woman DFO and the youngest person to hold the position in all of Division 1 football, FCS or FBS.

This isn’t just a ‘give it to her because it looks good’ promotion either. Patton has put in the time and effort to earn this position.

Patton previously served as the program’s Assistant Recruiting and Operations Coordinator. In the new role, Patton is the program’s point person regarding travel, facility usage and video and she’s working directly with athletic administration, the equipment staff and sports medicine team to ensure Harvard has everything it needs for another Ivy League title run and (hopefully), a postseason push in 2025.

“Katie has done a great job since she joined us last year,” Aurich said in a quick text exchange. “It was an easy decision moving her into this role. I’m very excited for her and for our program with her as our new Director of Football Operations.”

Patton arrived at Harvard before last year’s season from Michigan State, where she earned her undergraduate degree while also working with the Spartans’ football program and MSU’s athletic communications office.

Patton linked up with the MSU program in August of 2021, serving as the Office/Operations Student Assistant all four years while completing her degree. Patton assisted the coaching staff year-round and helped manage the day-to-day operations, which included all aspects of practice, summer camps and other special events. Patton also organized and assisted in various gatherings involving recruits, donors and other members of the Spartans’ community.

In Patton’s final year at Michigan State, Patton took on the role of Athletic Communications Intern. During that one season, she assisted with the media-relations efforts for several Michigan State teams.

Patton graduated with a degree in journalism with a minor in public relations in the spring of 2024 and comes from a football background. Her father has been a college football coach with stints at Northwestern, Oklahoma, Indiana, Pittsburgh, Eastern Michigan and Miami (Ohio). Her brother, meanwhile, played football at Northern Illinois, coached at Wyoming and is now on the coaching staff at NIU.