Greg Paules enters his first year as Director of Athletics at UC Riverside, bringing more than a decade of NCAA Division I leadership experience and a proven track record in external relations, fundraising and comprehensive program management.
Paules arrives in Riverside after serving as Senior Associate Athletics Director and Chief Operating Officer at Cal State Fullerton, where he oversaw the day-to-day operations of Titan Athletics. He provided leadership across key areas including marketing, development, communications, facilities and student-athlete performance, while also supervising baseball, men’s basketball, men’s soccer and women’s tennis. Paules was a member of both the Vice President for Student Affairs Executive Team and the department’s Senior Administrative Team.
Prior to his elevation to Chief Operating Officer in December 2020, Paules spent more than seven years as Associate Athletics Director for Development at Cal State Fullerton. He secured over 100 major gifts and helped raise more than $20 million for the university’s $250 million “It Takes A Titan” campaign, while generating unprecedented philanthropic support for the department. He also helped establish a seven-figure golf endowment and launched a planned-giving program that has produced more than $10 million in estate commitments.
Paules began his career at UC Irvine, spending eight years in external operations and rising from marketing intern to Special Assistant to the Athletic Director. He advised senior leadership, enhanced the department’s brand, led a website redesign and developed corporate marketing initiatives. He later oversaw the Anteater Athletic Fund, driving record membership and consistent six-figure annual fundraising growth.
Beyond his administrative responsibilities, Paules has remained actively engaged in the community. He has served on the Board of Directors for the Boys & Girls Club of Fullerton and volunteered as a Big Brother with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Orange County. He is also an active member of the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) and was selected for the Athletic Director Mentorship Program in 2015. From 2015–17, he represented the Big West Conference through the National Association of Athletic Directors of Development (NAADD).
A native of Pasadena, California, Paules earned his bachelor’s degree in sociology with a minor in education from UC Irvine. He later completed his MBA at the Paul Merage School of Business in 2009, where he served as President of the Sports and Entertainment Business Club and became the youngest MBA graduate in the school’s history. He and his wife, Peggy, have two daughters, Lyla and Eve.
