Dr. Pugh currently serves as a Professor of the Practice in Texas A&M University's School of Education & Human Development's Department of Educational Administration & Human Resource Development. Prior to returning to full-time faculty service in 2021, Dr. Pugh served as the Vice President for Student Affairs at Texas A&M University for six years. Before his tenure at Texas A&M University, Dr. Pugh served as the Vice Provost for Student Affairs at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. While at Arkansas, he held a joint faculty appointment as an Associate Profession in the College of Education. Dr. Pugh also held a joint faculty appointment as a Professor of the Practice at Texas A&M since arriving in 2015. Additionally, Dr. Pugh led the Division of Student Affairs during the $4 billion Lead by Example campaign whereby the division's fundraising exceeded $200 million.

Dr. Pugh has served 13 years as the senior student affairs officer at two SEC institutions and 13 years as a Dean of Students at one SEC institution and one Big Sky conference member. Dr. Pugh is heavily involved in professional associations and a member of a Student Affairs think tank. He recently completed eight years of service on the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities' (APLU) executive board of the Council on Student Affairs, including service as council chair and representing APLU on the American Council on Education' (ACE) Title IX response to the Department of Education. Dr. Pugh currently serves as on the editorial board of TACUSPA's Student Affairs on Campus Journal.

Dr. Pugh also serves as the Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army for the Brazos Valley of Texas and is an executive board member for the Catholic Campus Ministries Association (CCMA). He initially held the CASA role for the state of Arkansas prior to transitioning to Texas where he was asked to again serve the SECARMY. Dr. Pugh is one of a handful of CASAs who have held this position in two different states.