#10: Illinois Springfield selects club HC Scott Myers as the Prairie Stars’ next Women’s Soccer HC. (link) |
#9: Lincoln (PA) has clarified its parting ways with former Men’s Basketball HC noting the university decided “to end his employment,” rather than Armstrong voluntarily stepping down. (link) |
#8: At last month’s Gulf South Track & Field Championships, Commissioner Matt Wilson shared his thoughts on the industry and DII: “We’re not getting a lot of leadership out of Indianapolis, quite frankly, other than the super focus on the high-dollar litigation cases and the pay-for-play, call it whatever you want to call it, but the cash you receive for participating in college athletics, that being a focus. So there’s not a lot of people talking about what do we do for the other 1,100 schools whose athletics strategies are: let's create great events for our local communities, let’s provide unprecedented access to educational opportunities and scholarships to young people and let’s bolster enrollment at these great institutions. Nobody’s talking about that so it’s really a drive for the 23 Division II commissioners, we have to lead. I think it’s our obligation and we’re trying to do it and whether there’s a roadblock in front of us or not, we’re going to push forward and try to find what that path looks like for our schools.” (link)
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#7: Flagler hires longtime Valdosta State Baseball HC Greg Guilliams for the same role in St. Augustine. (link) |
#6: The participants for the 2024-25 NCAA Pathway Program have been unveiled and DII administrators include Clark Atlanta Deputy AD for Compliance and Sports Administration Joseph Arnold, Eckerd Assoc. AD for Internal Operations and Compliance/SWA Becky Clark, Washburn Assoc. AD/Director of Development Matt Hutchinson, Lincoln Memorial Senior Assoc. AD for Academic Services and Compliance/SWA Ahleasha McNeal and Wayne State (MI) Deputy AD/SWA Candice Turner. (link)
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#5: Saginaw Valley State Deputy AD/SWA Angela Pohl has been hired as the AD/Dean of Students for Hemlock Public School District, starting August 1. (link) |
#4: Grand Valley State wins its 16th LEARFIELD Directors’ Cup, now finishing in the top two the last 21 years. AD Keri Becker: “I am so proud of our student-athletes and staff for this incredible accomplishment. This is a direct reflection of the type of individuals we attract to Grand Valley State and how they compete throughout each of our sports and when I think about four consecutive and 16 overall I am humbled by the work and effort that goes into this accomplishment. In addition, our student-athletes achieved at a high level in the classroom and represented Grand Valley State in our communities." (link); Indianapolis, West Texas A&M, Wingate and Tampa round out the top five. On a conference level, the SSC had two members in the top 10 and the RMAC finished with four schools in the top 25. (link)
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#3: St. Cloud State will eliminate 42 degree programs, 54 faculty, 42 staff and four administrative positions as it faces a $14.4M budget deficit. (link) |
#2: St. Edward's selects Western Illinois (DI) Asst. Professor of Sports Management and former Illinois Springfield AD Jim Sarrá as its next AD, starting July 16. President Montserrat Fuentes: “After an extensive search, we are thrilled to add Dr. Sarrá as our new director of intercollegiate athletics. Athletics is a critical element of the university's strategic plan, and Dr. Sarrá's experience in growing athletic programs, commitment to the student-athlete experience and academic excellence, and community outreach philosophy align perfectly with our Holy Cross values, educational mission, and long-term institutional goals.” (link)
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#1: Dave Campbell’s Texas Football’s Cory Hogue lays out a list of potential candidates for the AD opening at Texas Permian Basin and some of the current challenges. On the latter: “UTPB is experiencing budget cuts. Multiple sources have confirmed that each program has been asked to cut 20% from his budget for the upcoming season. The ability to constantly raise funds for the athletic department is the number one requirement for every institution seeking to fill an athletic director's position in today’s college football world. On top of the budget cuts, UTPB has desires to raise funds for an on-campus football stadium. While fundraising will be the priority for UTPB’s search committee, they also need someone who understands how to build relationships across the entire university – from the president to the professors to the students. The candidate must demonstrate the importance of athletics, particularly football, to everyone associated with the school.” (link)
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