NATESH RAO

Natesh “Tesh” Rao, joined the Sun Devil Athletics senior leadership team in June of 2017, and serves as a Senior Associate Athletic Director. Rao’s responsibilities with Sun Devil Athletics include, among others, strategic planning, sport oversight of selected Olympic sports, global expansion and partnerships, revenue enhancement, coach and student-athlete leadership development, veteran and military engagement and other projects on behalf of the athletics director.

Before joining Sun Devil Athletics, Rao served twenty years in the United States Navy as an officer and naval aviator. During the course of service, Rao flew more than 250 combat missions in Iraq and Afghanistan and completed several international deployments on board aircraft carriers. During his time in service, Rao had the unique privilege of serving as a senior aide and special assistant to the Supreme Allied Commander, Europe at the NATO military headquarters in Mons, Belgium. Upon completion of the tour, Rao commanded a navy strike training squadron and retired from active duty in 2015. Following military service, Rao transitioned into a private sector role with Starbucks Coffee Company at the corporate headquarters in Seattle, Washington where he served on the government affairs and policy team.

Rao is a graduate of the Georgia Institute of Technology and holds a master’s degree in International Relations from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. He is married to Lisa and together they have a son Sammy and daughter Davie.