SANTA BARBARA – Mark Massari, who has worked at Oregon State since 2002, was hired Monday as director of athletics at UC Santa Barbara to succeed Gary Cunningham.

The 39-year-old Massari most recently served as the senior associate athletic director for external affairs at Oregon State, directing all revenue-generating, external marketing and communications activities.

Chancellor Henry Yang called Massari someone who “can bring us to the next new height.”

Massari said for that to happen, UCSB needs new facilities to turn what he called successful programs into outstanding ones.

“This is a special place,” Massari said. “As an athletic director, you want to be at a place where you can win and this place can win. We compete against the best schools in the country academically and win and we will athletically.

“Facilities need to be the difference maker. Kids will always look at coaches and make decisions on playing time and the feel and where they will live all the time. If you've got the facilities, then you've got a fighting chance on a national level.”

Massari will begin his new job near the end of next month. Chancellor Yang said both parties were so eager to make the announcement that no contract had officially been finalized.

Cunningham served as the director of athletics at UCSB since 1995. He announced in January he would be stepping down.