Stavridis, 61, is the current dean of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University and a former supreme allied commander of NATO.
"Admiral Stavridis is one of the finest military officers of his generation," Michele Flournoy, a former under secretary at the US Department of Defense, told Reuters in a statement.
"He is a person of great ability and integrity, and an exceptional leader. He has the talents, experience, judgment and temperament to serve the American people at the highest levels of our government."