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Edition #1689

December 29, 2025

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D2 Jobs on CollegeSports.jobs... New opportunities at Florida Gulf Coast (DI x2), John Brown (NAIA) and Mars Hill, below. Want unlimited job-postings for a year? Learn more about all job posting options HERE or contact jobs@wearecollegetown.com

Colorado-Colorado Springs leads the fall Learfield Directors’ Cup standings, with Wingate, Colorado School of Mines, Anderson and Grand Valley State rounding out the top five. The RMAC leads all leagues with three teams in the top six. (link)

Virginia Union leaders chatted with the Richmond Times-Dispatch John O’Connor about the successes for the Panthers after football’s fourth straight playoff appearance and men’s and women’s basketball starting off with a combined record of 18-3. AD Joe Taylor on the impact of Football HC Alvin Parker and the program’s success: “[What] Coach Parker has done here in terms of building that (winning) culture, (and) now the recruiting is a little bit — I’m not going to say ‘easier,’ but Virginia Union now is on national notice that this is a winning culture.” Men’s Basketball HC Jay Butler adds: “When you attend Virginia Union, I think the moment that you come through those gates, there’s something that’s instilled in you. To me, it seems like it’s a blue-collar school. … The history of winning is there and every time you step on the court, you’ve got to play for what’s on the front of that jersey.” More. (link)

Henderson State AD Seth Dutton took to X to share his thoughts on the transfer portal. “Only 30% of Division II student-athletes who enter the portal find a new program. Of that 30%, just 33% move up to the Division I level, while 60% remain in Division II. These figures apply to first-time transfers only. Allowing unlimited transfers without restrictions hinders many student-athletes and makes timely graduation far more difficult. The one-time transfer exception often referenced was once the standard rule, and it worked effectively. Coaches at every level, particularly in certain sports, are already experiencing significant burnout due to annual roster turnover. We must regain control of this issue and begin pushing back. While we have adapted - and will continue to adapt - to the ‘new normal,’ we risk losing sight of the true value of an education and a degree. College is not a four-year decision - it is a forty-year decision.” (link)

INFORUM’s Mike McFeely chats with DII football HCs about the challenges of the transfer portal, noting that over 2K football student-athletes entered the portal in the month after the regular season ended. Wayne State (NE) HC Logan Masters: “I just wish the adults in the room could come up with some better ideas, some solutions. You find some of these kids who are under-recruited, you give them a chance, you develop them, they work to turn themselves into good players and then another program comes and takes them. It’s just frustrating. … I tell our staff the T-rex was the bad-ass of dinosaurs but it didn’t evolve and went extinct. We have to learn to evolve and deal with what’s happening or we’re going to be working at Wal-Mart.” MSU Moorhead HC Steve Laqua: “If you’re an FCS school, you’re maybe trying to build the top end of your roster with some of those FBS drop-downs and then trying to raise the floor of the roster with the best of Division II. I think NIL has changed some, too. Before, I don’t know if NIL was really a thing in FCS and what they had maybe went to the FBS drop-down guys. Division II kids maybe just went to FCS to say they went to FCS. Now that there is maybe a little more NIL money in FCS, some of that is going to the Division II transfers.” (link)

Bloomberg’s Elizabeth Rembert reports that U.S. colleges went on a borrowing spree in 2025, issuing over $34B in municipal debt—a 28% YoY increase and the highest volume since at least 2014. Driven by favorable rates, infrastructure needs (like Texas Tech’s stadium renovation and Boston University’s dorm overhaul), and fears of losing tax-exempt status due to legislative changes, schools aggressively tapped the market, with over 70% of issuance occurring in the first half of the year. While bankers from Wells Fargo, Goldman Sachs, and Barclays expect volume to cool slightly in 2026 as institutions adopt a more conservative approach amid federal funding uncertainty, they anticipate continued robust activity from large public universities and academic medical centers. RBC Capital Markets Co-Head of Higher Ed Christopher Good notes the firm has doubled its education sector investment banking staff in the past three years to meet the "ongoing series of opportunities." (link)

It’s Personnel…
➤ Rockhurst Senior Assoc. AD for Development and Engagement Brent Blazek has been promoted to Assoc. VP of University Advancement after 13 years with the university. The Hawks have hired Central Missouri Asst. AD for Annual Giving Macie Wallace as Assoc. AD for Development. (link, link)
➤ Adams State Senior Assoc. AD for Compliance Trey Compton is no longer with the Grizzlies. (link)

Football Files…
➤ Albany State names Johnson C. Smith Director of Player Personnel/AC David Bowser as the Golden Rams’ next HC. (link)
➤ Edinboro Football HC Matt Scott departs for another opportunity after one season leading the Fighting Scots. (link)
➤ Savannah State selects Fayetteville State DC Thomas Howard as its new Football HC. (link)
➤ Shippensburg promotes OC/alum Drew Gallardy to be the Raiders’ next Football HC. (link)
➤ UT Permian Basin Football HC Kris McCullough will depart for the same role at Gardner-Webb (DI). (link)
➤ Incoming DII member Lackawanna hires Cornell (DI) Director of Operations Mark Ross as its next Football HC. (link)

This morning’s edition of Coaches.wire is loaded with changes to coaching staffs around the country from the past week. (link)

U.S. Reps. Chris Deluzio (D-PA) and Dan Goldman (D-NY) have introduced the Honest Oversight of Ticketed Dining and Onsite Grub (HOTDOG) Act, directing the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to conduct a nationwide study of concession pricing practices at sports venues by examining the prices of comparable food and drinks inside and outside stadiums that were constructed or are operated with public subsidy funds; pricing practices such as dynamic pricing, service fees, and promotions; transparency of concession prices to consumers, and other types of pricing policies. The bill also requires the FTC to issue a report to Congress detailing the results of the study and any recommendations for legislative, regulatory, or industry action to improve affordability and transparency. Sports Fans Coalition Executive Director Brian Hess: “The HOTDOG Act will shine a much-needed light on exploitative pricing practices and help identify solutions that make attending games affordable for working families again. When taxpayers invest hundreds of millions into stadiums, they deserve transparency about why a hot dog costs three times what it does on the street outside. We applaud Representatives Goldman and Deluzio for taking this important first step toward holding venues accountable and making game day affordable for American families.” More. (link)

U.S. GDP grew by an annual rate of 4.3% in Q3, the largest growth in two years, beating the projections of 3.2% and last quarter’s increase of 2.5%. The Wall Street Journal’s Chao Deng and Harriet Torry add: “Rising consumer spending was partly driven by healthcare, including outpatient services, and at hospitals and nursing homes. International travel, legal services and spending on products like personal computers and software also contributed. Artificial intelligence-related spending helped, too, though the pace of growth appeared to cool from the second quarter. Overall business investment growth slowed to 2.8% in the third quarter from 7.3% in the prior three months. The report offered fresh evidence that consumers continue to lift the U.S. economy, even as inflation remains higher than the Federal Reserve’s 2% target, hiring remains sluggish and consumer-confidence readings reflect a dour overall mood.” (link)

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(Posted from most recent over the last 30 days)

(NEW!) Head Women's Volleyball Coach (Mars Hill University / Mars Hill, NC): The Head Coach oversees all aspects of the Women’s Volleyball program. Mars Hill competes at the NCAA Division II level and is a member of the South Atlantic Conference. More details HERE.

(NEW!) Head Women's Soccer Coach (John Brown University / Siloam Springs, AR): A strong commitment to the importance of discipling students in the Christian faith and to the academic success of the student-athlete. Build on the strong foundation in place for competition! (NAIA) More details HERE.

(NEW!) Athletics Groundskeeper (Florida Gulf Coast University / Fort Myers, FL): The Athletics Groundskeeper is responsible for maintenance and care of the fields and surrounding grounds at the Outdoor Athletic Complexes. (DI) More details HERE.

(NEW!) Assistant Athletics Director, Eagles Club (Florida Gulf Coast University / Fort Myers, FL): The Assistant Athletics Director will provide strategic leadership for the Eagles Club, which includes Annual Giving and special events for FGCU Athletics. (DI) More details HERE.

Assistant Athletics Director for Football Academics (Texas A&M University / College Station, TX): Texas A&M Athletics is seeking an Assistant Athletics Director for Football Academics to lead academic support operations for the Football program within the Center for Student-Athlete Services. (DI) More details HERE.

Director of Creative Services (University of Central Arkansas / Conway, AR): Lead the creative media efforts for Central Arkansas Athletics, effectively promoting the success, stories, and accomplishments of our 18 Division I athletic programs. (DI) More details HERE.

Coordinator, Digital & Social Media (Big Ten Conference / Rosemont, IL): This position will assist with the execution of the Conference's digital and social media strategy, including social media management, email marketing, website development, and more. (DI) More details HERE.

Assistant Football Coach - Offensive Coordinator (Pennwest - California / California, PA): Responsible for running the overall offensive system in football including film review, play calling & working with the HC in the development of the offensive side of the ball to excel at D2 level. More details HERE.

Assistant Football Coach - Offensive Coordinator/QB Coach (Grand Valley State University / Allendale, MI): Join the 17-time Learfield Director's Cup winning Laker Athletics department anchored in the relentless pursuit of greatness as our next Assistant Coach/Offensive Coordinator! More details HERE.

Executive Director of Principal Giving, USC Athletics (University of Southern California / Los Angeles, CA): Strategic frontline fundraiser to secure $1M+ gifts for USC Athletics, cultivating elite donors to advance student-athlete experience, facilities, and competitive excellence. (DI) More details HERE.

Men's Head Soccer Coach (John Brown University / Siloam Springs, AR): A strong commitment to the importance of discipling students in the Christian faith and to the academic success of the student-athlete. Build on the strong foundation in place for competition! (NAIA) More details HERE.

Deputy Athletic Director/Development (Oral Roberts University / Tulsa, OK): Senior Leadership position leading Development, Fundraising, Sponsorships, and Ticketing efforts for Division 1 Athletic Department. (DI) More details HERE.

Women’s Flag Football Head Coach (Newberry College / Newberry, SC): Newberry College (NCAA D2) seeks qualified applicants for Women’s Flag Football Head Coach. More details HERE.

Assistant Athletic Director for Compliance (University of Texas at Dallas / Richardson, TX): The Assistant Athletic Director for Compliance reports directly to the Associate Athletic Director for Compliance and assists in the responsibility for institutional control of NCAA Compliance. More details HERE.

Associate Director of Development, Major Gifts (Texas Christian University / Fort Worth, TX): This position is responsible for supporting the philanthropic revenue growth of TCU Athletics. The primary focus is on cultivating and soliciting donors for commitments of $100,000+. (DI) More details HERE.

Assistant Track & Field Coach (University of Illinois Springfield / Springfield, IL): UIS is ready to expand its track & field program beyond to focus on distance and is looking for a coach to lead the campaign to recruit and coach sprinters and jumpers to the program. More details HERE.

Head Coach Women's Volleyball (Westminster University / Salt Lake City, UT): The head coach for the Westminster University Women’s Volleyball program is responsible for oversight, leadership, recruitment/retention, student-athlete experience, and fostering a winning culture. More details HERE.

Head Women's Soccer Coach (Shepherd University / Shepherdstown, WV): The successful candidate will be responsible for the organization, supervision and administration of an NCAA Division II intercollegiate women’s soccer program and department assigned duties. More details HERE.

Associate AD for Budget and Planning/Chief Operating Officer (Fort Hays State University / Hays, KS): Provide visionary leadership to all areas of departmental internal operations. Liaison with areas across campus. Articulate and execute the department's strategic plan in a fiscally sound manner. More details HERE.

Associate/Assistant Director of Athletics - Revenue Innovation & Advancement (Fort Hays State University / Hays, KS): Provide strategic leadership in all areas of revenue generation. Solicit support from various areas (sponsors, donors, alumni, etc.). Oversee staff planning and execution of major fundraising events. More details HERE.

Assistant Women's Volleyball Coach (Western Colorado University / Gunnison, CO): Western Colorado University invites applications for the full-time position of Assistant Women’s Volleyball Coach. More details HERE.

Assistant Women's and Men's Golf Coach (University of Illinois Springfield / Springfield, IL): The successful candidate can build a coaching portfolio by assisting with the golf program in 2026-27 while enrolled in a master's degree and living in a campus apartment, if available. More details HERE.

Head Volleyball Coach (Fort Hays State University / Hays, KS): Organize, develop, recruit and administer all functions of a D-II Women’s Volleyball program funded for national success. Other VB staff positions are FT Assistant and Grad Assistant. More details HERE.

Women's Flag Football Head Coach (University of Illinois Springfield / Springfield, IL): Great opportunity to build a new women's flag football program, planning to compete in the spring 2027 season! Join our team of high achievers and build something special! More details HERE.

Assistant Football Coach - Defense (Grand Valley State University / Allendale, MI): Join the 17-time Learfield Director's Cup winning GVSU Laker Athletics department anchored in the relentless pursuit of greatness. Laker Football has two openings for an Assistant Coach. More details HERE.

Commissioner (Horizon League / Indianapolis, IN): Reporting to the Board of Presidents, the Commissioner works closely with the Chancellors/Presidents and Athletic Directors of the member institutions to advance the mission and vision of the League. (DI) More details HERE.

Head Women's Flag Football Coach (Missouri Southern State University / Joplin, MO): The Head Women’s Flag Football Coach oversees all aspects of the flag football program, including teaching, coaching, training, performance, and recruitment of student-athletes. More details HERE.

Athletics Communication Coordinator (Western Colorado University / Gunnison, CO): Western Colorado University invites applications for the full-time position of Athletics Communication Coordinator. More details HERE.

Associate Director of Club Sports (Southwest Baptist University / Bolivar, MO): This role provides strategic leadership, administrative oversight, and hands-on engagement with SBU’s growing Club Sports program. More details HERE.

Assistant Coach, Volleyball (Upper Iowa University / Fayette, IA): This position will report directly to the Volleyball HC and is responsible for assisting in the planning, directing, and evaluating of a successful volleyball program. Go Peacocks! More details HERE.

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