Don Patko has been assistant athletics director for facilities at Ohio State since March 2002. He oversees the daily operation of all department facilities including Ohio Stadium, Bill Davis Stadium, the Woody Hayes Athletics Center, the Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium and Buckeye Field. He is responsible for all aspects of building and ground maintenance for those venues.
Patko, a native of Dayton, Ohio, is a 1992 graduate of The Ohio State University with a B.S. in education. He played soccer for Ohio State, earning three letters as a defensive player for the Buckeyes.
After graduation, Patko worked briefly with the Marriott Corporation, supervising concession sales, organizing catering events and scheduling upcoming events.
In April 1992, he joined the staff of the Ohio Glory of the now-defunct World League of American Football as director of merchandising and novelty booth sales.
Patko returned to his alma mater in April 1993 as manager of Ohio Stadium. In that role, he assisted in the day-to-day operation of the stadium, including budget issues, general maintenance and supervising outside contractors. Patko was promoted to superintendent of facilities in September 1999 a position he held until being named to his present position in March 2002.
Patko was extensively involved in the renovation of Ohio Stadium and the building of the Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium, both of which were completed in 2001. He oversaw a myriad of duties associated with those two projects.
He and his wife Lisa, a teacher in Westerville, have a daughter, Emily, and a son, Nicholas.