About Us
OUR MISSION
Fortify College Athletics was started to provide strategic consulting services to college athletic departments. With the ever-evolving landscape of college athletics we will provide our partners with solution-driven plans that strengthen athletic departments.
With a broad breadth of collegiate experience we are prepared to consult in a variety of areas. We will tailor each project to the needs and demands of our partner and provide elite service and advice.
OUR APPROACH
Fortify College Athletics is prepared to provide our partners with solutions through strategic assessment, thorough analysis, and creative problem solving. Every project will be looked at with a unique approach based on the partner's needs and relative to the complexity of the issue.
Our advantage is the nearly 100 years of recent experience in college athletics, with extensive knowledge in NCAA Compliance, as a COO, CFO, and with complex contracts. This experience will be used to drive problem solving results to our partners.
LEADERSHIP
Tony Hernandez Managing Partner and CEO
Fortify College Athletics is led by Tony Hernandez. Tony has over 25 years of experience in every facet of college athletics and has served as an industry leader at the conference and national levels. Most recently, Tony worked with all administrative units and department programming as Deputy Director of Athletics/Chief Operating Officer at Texas Tech University, while also serving as sport administrator for the football and men’s basketball programs.
Prior to Texas Tech, Tony served in various leadership roles during a 19-year tenure at the University of Miami (FL). Beginning his career in Compliance, he served as President of the National Association of Athletic Compliance (NAAC), before being elevated to Senior Associate Athletics Director, then to Deputy Athletics Director, CFO and COO. He was also the department’s Interim Athletics Director in 2011. During his tenure at Miami, Tony directly oversaw the following areas and programs: Compliance, Academic Services, Sports Medicine, Marketing, Ticket Operations, Development, Strength and Conditioning, Financial and Business Operations, Human Resources, Equipment Room, Video Services, Nike/Adidas Relations, Legal/Contractual Matters, Football, Men’s Basketball, Baseball and Track and Field.
Tony has a degree in finance and a law degree, both from the University of Miami. He graduated from the Disney Institute and was recognized as one of the Top 60 Latinos in Sports in 2021. He has served on ten NCAA committees or cabinets, including three years as Chair of the Student-Athlete Reinstatement Committee, and on many conference committees.
David Reed Partner/Executive VP Compliance Solutions
David Reed is a Partner and Executive VP for Compliance Solutions for Fortify College Athletics. David has over twenty-seven years’ experience working in NCAA Compliance.
He has previously served as the designated Senior Compliance Administrator at the University of Kansas; University of Louisiana-Monroe; Marshall University; and University of Miami. He has also worked in support roles on the Compliance staff at University of Cincinnati. University of Pittsburgh, and Xavier University.
He is a nationally recognized leader in NCAA Compliance and has served on both the NCAA Initial Eligibility Committee as well as the NCAA Interpretations Committee. He has done extensive committee work for NAAC and conference affiliates throughout his career. David co-founded the NAAC ACE mentoring program.
David earned a juris master from the Florida State University School of Law. He also earned a master of legal studies from West Virginia University; a master of science in athletic administration from Marshall University; and a bachelor of science in social sciences from Kansas State University. David served as a combat engineer in the 4th Division of the United States Marine Corps.
OUR TEAM
Scott McGonagle
Consultant
Scott McGonagle has 43 years experience as a Certified Athletic Trainer. He has held Head Athletic Trainer positions at three different Universities for 35 years in college athletics and has served as an industry leader at the state levels. He was inducted into the Oklahoma Athletic Trainers Hall of Fame in May of 2008.
Most recently, Scott worked with the National Football League as a Concussion Spotter for the Houston Texans. Additionally, Scott was working as an independent contractor with the Boling ISD School system as an Athletic Trainer. Scott recently retired from the day to day athletic training duties to be close to family.
Scott directed all phases of a Division 1 Co-Ed Athletic Training Program at the University of Tulsa from 1982-1995. University of Miami 1995-2012 and Rice University from 2012-2017. While at Rice he served as the Associate Athletic Director for Sports Performance from 2013-2017.
Scott was the driving force for the development and directing the Athletic Training Educational Curriculum at both The University of Tulsa and University of Miami.
Scott has a BS Ed. from The University of Kansas and a MS from The University of Arizona. Additionally, he completed a certificate program in Healthcare Management at the University of Miami in 2007.
Brian Battle
Consultant
Brian Battle is an athletics consultant for Fortify College Athletics. Brian has over 30 years’ experience working at all levels NCAA intercollegiate athletics and higher education.
Brian has served in various administrative roles at multiple NCAA Division I institutions. At Florida Atlantic University, he served as Senior Associate Athletic Director for Internal Operations and Interim Director of Athletics; he was the Senior Associate Athletic Director for Administration at University of North Carolina - Greensboro; while at Florida State University; and Georgetown University, he served as the Associate Athletic Director for Compliance.
Each of these roles allowed him to gain valuable experience and direct oversight in the areas: academics, compliance, facilities and game operations, financial operations, sports medicine, strength and conditioning, as well as equipment management and transportation. In addition, Brian has extensive experience in sport administration for baseball, men and women’s basketball, football, golf, soccer, tennis and track and field.
In addition to his NCAA Division I experience, he has worked with NCAA Division II and III institutions as an athletic consultant at Lynn University and as a board member on the Saxon Nation Athletic Board at Alfred University. Recently, Brian completed his first year as President of the Alfred University’s Athletic Board. For the past eight years, he has been an adjunct professor in the College of Business at Florida Atlantic University teaching “Introduction to Sport Management”.
Brian has had the opportunity to be the Bowl Game Administrator for the Boca Raton Bowl and Conference USA Football Championship, as well as a member of NCAA Tournament sites committees for Baseball, Men and Women’s Tennis and Men’s Basketball. Additionally, he has been a member of the NAAC ACE mentoring program and Mentor Me CABMA program. Furthermore, he has been a valuable member or liaison to various institutional committees such as Emergency Management, Compliance and Ethics, Task Forces Committees for Child Safety and Athletics and Academics.
Brian has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration and minor in Political Science from Alfred University, where he was on the Men’s Basketball Team. He received a Master of Science Degree in Physical Education with a specialization in Athletic Administration from Florida State University.
Kristan Kelly
Consultant
Kristan Kelly joins Fortify College Athletics LLC as a consultant with more than 10 years of NCAA Division I Compliance experience. Kelly joins Fortify College Athletics LLC after serving as the Senior Associate Athletics Director for Compliance at San Jose State University since August 2021. In this role, she was a member of the executive leadership team, oversaw the Athletic Compliance and Student-Athlete Services, and sport supervisor for Men’s Basketball, Women’s Soccer, Men’s & Women’s Cross Country and Track & Field programs.
Prior to SJSU Kelly spent seven years at the University of Memphis (2014-21). There she was the lead compliance person for football and men's basketball and took over as the Assistant AD for Compliance in 2015. Kelly ran the Memphis Compliance office and developed policies and procedures to ensure institutional rules align with NCAA and conference rules.
Before Memphis, Kelly spent two seasons (2012-14) at Saint Louis University where she served as the compliance coordinator. She provided rules interpretations for coaches, student-athletes and staff, while also working with the NCAA and the Atlantic-10 to educate the department on rules and regulations. Kelly assisted with outreach of former student-athletes for degree completion opportunity.
Kelly earned her Juris Doctorate from the University of Missouri from the School of Law in 2009. She received her bachelor's degree in Investigative and Medical Sciences from Saint Louis University in 2006.
