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As he prepares for his last day on July 15, retiring Grand Valley State AD Selgo is interviewed on local TV. Talks about the gratitude he has for the many people who have made his 20 years at GVSU so rewarding and how he is truly honored by the new Tim. W. Selgo Showcase of Champions. Also reiterates how athletics and especially football has helped brand the university, how everyone told him GVSU was a "sleeping giant" when he took over in 1996. Finally, he details the consulting work he's going to do with Athletics Staffing and Consultants and how the succession plan has gone very well with Keri Becker taking over as AD. - link
More from Selgo and Becker as Grand Valley State accepted the the GLIAC Presidents’ Trophy for the 18th consecutive year and the Directors’ Cup for the third year in a row. Selgo on the success of his S-As both on the field and in the classroom: "We evaluate all of our programs far beyond just how we do in the Directors’ and Presidents’ Cup standings. This past year 64 percent of our student athletes had a 3 point grade point average or better. We’re just as proud of that as we are with the competitive success." Becker says the secret to their success is people: "It’s not about resources. It’s not about facilities. It’s about people. It’s our ability to recruit quality, talented coaches and retain them, and their ability to recruit quality student athletes." Selgo echoed that sentiment by saying: "I think we have the best coaching staff in Division II in the country. They are good leaders, and they care about their kids." - link
Rogers State is holding a press conference this Friday and is expected to announce the school has officially been confirmed as an active DII member. Erwin talks about the transition from NAIA, commending coaches for being successful despite not having the carrot of post-season play, emphasizing the importance of "that little blue disc" from a branding perspective, pointing out the financial benefits of the move, and lauding the NCAA for promoting S-As during their time on campus and with prospective employers, as well as for its emphasis on community engagement: "This was a university decision to go Division II. It makes RSU a better place not only athletically, but our athletes are coming in more academically prepared. The NCAA standards are higher than the NAIA standards. We are recruiting a higher quality athlete because of the NCAA standards." - link
Humboldt State Prez Rossbacher explains why HSU has contracted with Strategic Edge Athletic Consulting: "Athletics has now used nearly all of its reserves, and it has a structural deficit that is projected to grow significantly next year. While HSU athletics does a good job of fundraising to support scholarships and through gifts-in-kind, the overall financial situation surrounding athletics is not sustainable." More from Rossbacher, on what SEAC's role will be: "Strategic Edge will assess the HSU athletics department and offer recommendations regarding national and conference affiliation options, sports sponsorship opportunities, required contests and participation requirements, athletics department staffing, athletically related scholarship models, comparative cost analysis, return-on-investment projections, and other strategic considerations for the athletics program." - link
Minnesota State Mankato raised over $2.9M for Mavericks athletics during the 2015-16 fiscal year, which is an all-time high. AD Buisman on the accomplishment: "This is an exciting time to be involved with the Mavericks and our University, and the future is even brighter. These donations have a tremendous impact on our student-athletes and the experience we are able to provide for them. That would not be possible without the generous financial support of our alumni, our boosters, parents of our student-athletes, our corporate partners, our fans and our friends." - link
Athletics and the Department of Exercise Science at East Stroudsburg have come together to create the ESU Sports Performance Institute. The new collaboration is designed to provide S-As with increased access to state-of-the-art equipment and training experts while also enhancing research opportunities at the university. AD Looney: "We believe this partnership will be groundbreaking for our student-athletes and place ESU at the forefront of best practices in campus collaboration related to NCAA Division II health, safety and sports performance." - link
Northwestern Oklahoma State has hired North Dakota (DI) AC Dirden to take over as its MBB HC. NWOSU AD Franz on the hire: "Coach Dirden's philosophies regarding academics, personal student growth and development of individual and team basketball are exactly what we were looking for and fall right in line with Northwestern Athletics. I know he will provide the leadership and guidance for our team as a whole and the players individually. His team will play very hard, will be well coached and will be ready to work towards the goal of being one of the top teams in the Great American Conference."- link
NYIT has hired AAU director and international scout Hamilton to be the school's new MBB HC. Director of Intercollegiate Athletics and Recreation Bailey on why Hamilton was chosen for the job: "As we worked through the search process and spoke with a distinguished pool of coaches, it became apparent that Kevin best embodied all the characteristics we were looking for, and was ideally suited to take on the challenge of moving NYIT basketball to higher levels of success. He has a unique, interesting and long background in the game of basketball. He's a driven and intense competitor that cares deeply about his players and he's a visible and involved member of the community." - link
Current, former, and incoming DII student-athletes qualifying for the Olympics:
+ Former Augusta golf S-A Reed will become the first Jaguar to qualify for the Olympics when he represents the U.S. - link
+ Academy of Art track S-A Ajomale will represent Canada in the 100M at the Rio Olympics. The rising sophomore will be the school's first Olympian. - link
+ Former Missouri S&T track S-A Smith will represent his home country of Bermuda in the long jump. It is the third time Smith has qualified for the Olympics. - link
+ Former Minnesota State track S-A Matadi will represent his native Liberia in the 100M. Matadi is the first Maverick to qualify for the Summer Olympics. - link
+ Johnson C. Smith T&F S-A Clarke and former T&F S-A Williams have both qualified for the Rio Olympics. Clarke will represent Canada as a member of their 4x400 team and Williams will represent Jamaica in the 100M hurdles. - link
+ The UIndy swimming program will be well represented. Former swim S-A Herendeen will represent the U.S. at the 2016 Paralympics, while incoming freshman Neofytou will compete for her native Cyprus at the Summer Games in the 100M butterfly. - link
+ Former St. Cloud State T&F and WBB S-A Miller-Koch will represent the U.S. in the heptathlon. - link
+ Former Embry-Riddle soccer S-A Bohlemann will represent the United States as a member of the 2016 Paralympics men's soccer team. - link
Partnering with the East Coast Conference, Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference & more
Washburn MBB HC Chipman has announced he will retire at the end of this coming season, which will mark Chipman's 41st on the sidelines for the Ichabods, 38 of which have been as HC. AD Ferre wants to see the long-time coach go out on top: "You think Washburn basketball and you think of Bob Chipman. He has been a fixture on the Ichabod bench for 41 years and no one wants to win more than he does. I am looking forward to one more run from coach Chipman and the Ichabods in his quest for not only 800 wins, but to add another championship banner in the arena in his final season as our head coach." - link
Texas A&M-Commerce is hoping to continue the momentum generated by back-to-back LSC titles in FB by changing the perception of the east side of Memorial Stadium or so-called "visitor's side." The university wants to sell reserved group seating for that side of the stadium to corporate, community and university organizations. Per AD McMurray, the College of Business dean bought an entire section to give to employees and alumni, while a corporate parter is creating a family fun zone in another section. More McMurray: "My goal for this year is to have at least one game, hopefully more, where if we send an airplane up to take an aerial shot of the stadium, it’ll take a picture of a full crowd. That’s what we need our mindset to be. Winning is absolutely the best marketing tool, but if you’re not prepared for the success when it comes, that’s a missed opportunity." - link
With the help of AMI Graphics, Saint Michael's has made a number of visual enhancements inside the Ross Sports Center. AD Kenny was pleased with the improvements: "We are thrilled with the graphic enhancement project that AMI Graphics brought to life for us. We have a multi-step branding plan in mind, and this was the first phase. ... the jewel of the project is the eight-foot-high wall mural that runs the length of our Sport Center's concourse, and features action images of student-athletes from all 21 of our varsity sports programs. That wall mural is a show-stopper for many - we will often find people spending time gazing at it like they are in a gallery, taking selfies by their favorite sport athlete, or just admiring it as they pass through the concourse on their way to work out or practice, or heading back to class or the dorm." - link (includes before & after pics)
Highlights from Minnesota Duluth's 2015-16 year include: The largest football crowd to ever watch the Bulldogs in Duluth (6,157) saw UMD beat St. Cloud State on homecoming (and both hockey programs finished in the top 5 in average attendance); UMD athletic sponsorship and ticket revenue topped the $3M mark for the first time ever, while the Bulldogs now have approximately 125 sponsorship partners; Fundraising brought in more than $1.8M in FY16, up from previous all-time high of $1.33M last year; UMD S-As and staff logged approximately 2,100 volunteer hours; and UMD has nearly 10,500 Twitter followers, the second most of any DII athletic department in the nation. AD Berlo: "The Bulldog athletics family continues to attain and strive for higher and higher levels of excellence. I could not be prouder of this fine group of student athletes, the exceptional coaches and support staff as we continue to work toward being one of the most successful NCAA DI/DII athletic departments in the country." - link
Notre Dame College and the Cleveland Clinic have agreed to extend their partnership through 2019. NDC AD Swain on the importance of the partnership: "We are always stressing the importance of the student-athlete experience at NDC. For us to continue this tremendous partnership with the Cleveland Clinic shows how much Notre Dame College is committed to all of our Falcon student-athletes. My goal as Director of Athletics is to always provide the best to our student-athletes…and with this continued partnership we have certainly done so." - link
In admin movement:
+ Lenoir-Rhyne has promoted Associate AD Heaberlin to Deputy AD. - link
+ South Dakota School of Mines has named Colorado Colorado Springs Assistant AD of Sports Medicine Hardy to the same position. The job is a new position with the Hardrockers. - link
+ Cedarville has promoted Athletic Trainer Stephens to Assistant AD for Athletic Training and Sport Performance. - link
+ Lander has hired Erskine Head Athletic Trainer Weyer to be the school's Assistant AD for Sports Medicine. - link
+ Condordia Irvine has hired local high school administrator Melissa Jacobi to be its new Assistant AD for External Operations and Development. - link
+ Franklin Pierce has announced three additions to the athletics staff. Regis (MA) College (DIII) Graduate Assistant Cerullo has been hired as Assistant Director of Athletic Communication, Ithaca (DIII) Graduate Assistant Itchkavich-Levasseur has been tabbed as Assistant Athletic Trainer, and Central Connecticut State (DI) Graduate Assistant Williams has been brought aboard as S&C HC. - link
+ Twitter timeline chronicles the 2016 Emerging Administrators Academy held at Clayton State. - link
In Olympic sport coaching movement:
+ St. Mary's has named San Francisco State MSOC HC Barnes to the same position. - link
+ Lock Haven has hired West Virginia State volleyball HC Gerencir to take over its volleyball program. - link
+ Wayne State U has promoted women's golf AC Weaver to HC. - link
+ Shippensburg has hired York (Pa.) College (DIII) AC Miller to be its new WLAX HC. - link
+ Point Loma has hired Assistant Golf Pro Hancock to take over as HC of the women's golf team, while HC Allen will stay on as an AC in order to spend more time with her growing family. - link
+ Flagler has promoted men's and women's tennis AC Puebla to HC of the women's team. - link
+ Quincy has hired Head PGA Golf Pro Schrage to take over as HC of the women's golf team. - link
+ South Dakota School of Mines has hired Assistant Golf Pro Treptow to be the HC of the women’s golf program. - link
Southwest Minnesota State has announced that online registration is now open for the Mustang Booster Club. The MBC is also introducing a new incentive program created to increase the amount of members and the scholarship dollars raised every year. Members will receive Hy-Vee gift cards for referring new members. Also, existing members that increase their giving level will receive 15% of the difference between the levels from the previous academic year to the current year. For example, if an existing Pride ($900) member moves up to the Stampede ($1,250) level, the member will be issued a Hy-Vee gift card for $52.50. - link
The movie My Many Sons, which is the true story of former Northern State MBB HC Don Meyer, will be released on home video later this year. Meyer, who racked up 923 career coaching victories and passed away in 2014, is played by actor Judge Reinhold. Former player and current NSU AC Wicks says it is "surreal" and "humbling" to be included in the movie. - link
Update from Fort Hays State on the construction progress that's been made on the new $3M T&F facility located next to Bickle-Schmidt Sports Complex, construction of which is expected to be completed this fall. FHSU is also offering naming opportunities, including $1.5M for naming rights to the stadium, $750K for the track, $500K for the infield, $50K for an event area and $10K for wall recognition. - link
Recently released facility pics include:
+ New gold surface for Emporia State's Zola Witten Track at Welch Stadium. - link
+ The mid-field logo is down on the new turf inside Southern Arkansas' Wilkins Stadium. - link
+ Picture of the new turf on Bentley's football field. - link
+ Pictures of the new turf on West Chester's football field. - link, link
+ Aerial shot of the new turf being installed at Bridgeport's Knights Field. - link
Feature on long-time Western Washington coach Halsell, who is the first person in school history to be a head coach of a sport for 30 years and head coach in four sports. Halsell has been the coordinator of outdoor T&F and cross country for both men and women since 1987 and has also directed men's and women's indoor T&F for the last 13 seasons. Halsell: "The most rewarding part of my job is having good athletes who want to compete and do well," said Halsell. "It's been fun helping them grow and go on to become productive adults. Whether it's in competition or in the classroom, hopefully people are learning. I'm still learning and I hope I never take an opportunity for granted. I want athletes in my program and at Western to take advantage of their opportunities." - link
GNAC Commish Haglund writes on his blog about GNAC Supervisor of Basketball Officials Gorski and the two recent officiating camps he administered at Central Washington and Western Washington. The long-time official spoke proudly about the training and education that took place at the camps: "I have been involved in officiating since the 1970s and I can easily say that the training, the evaluations, the game clips and the presentations given to these officials are second to none. And I couldn't be any prouder of both my staffs and the effort they put forth to make these two camps a true learning experience." - link
Winona State volleyball and softball S-A Larsen talks about balancing everything that comes with being a two-sport athlete. Despite the challenge, Larsen has earned second-team all-NSIC honors in both sports and managed to keep a 3.77 GPA along the way. Larsen on the benefits of playing two sports: "I think playing two sports definitely gives you a fresh mind instead of doing one all year-round. I think that’s what I like the most. Obviously, it’s hard because I wish I could be in two places at once. But if anybody else was given the chance to do it, I would totally tell them to take it if I was in their shoes because it’s something only a few people get to experience." - link
Former Northern Michigan FB S-A Tucker talks about the cool way Pittsburgh Steelers HC Tomlin informed him that he made the 90-man roster back in May. Knowing his mother is a big fan of Tomlin's, Tucker nervously asked his head coach to wish his mother a happy Mother's Day over the phone and that's when the Steelers boss informed them of the good news: Tucker recounts that Tomlin told Tucker's mom 'Hey I just wanted to wish you a Happy Mother’s Day. I believe you have raised a fine young man and we wanted to give him an opportunity to make this football team. So we’re going to sign him to the 90 man roster.' Tucker's response: "I’m literally standing there while he’s saying this to my mom, and I just feel chills running down my body. It was such an amazing experience. I was overjoyed. After he hung up, I remember saying thank you probably 100 times." - link
Presidents and chancellors in the news:
+ Emporia State Prez Garrett talks to The Chronicle of Higher Education about leading the university despite a challenging state budget and trying to better serve the students and contribute to the economy in the region. - link
+ In the wake of the recent violence in Louisiana, Minnesota and Dallas, Claflin Prez Tisdale has published an editorial on race relations in the United States. - link
+ West Florida Provost and Executive VP Saunders says she intends to apply for the presidency of UWF with current Prez Bense set to retire. Florida State Sen. Gaetz is one of the other top candidates for the job, but he says he is still unsure whether or not he will officially apply for the position. - link
In other general academia news:
+ Grand Valley State has announced that long-time Provost and VP for Academic Affairs Haas will retire after this coming academic year. - link
+ UC San Diego has hired prominent Georgia Tech (DI) engineer Henrik Christensen to be the director of the school's new Contextual Robotics Institute. - link
+ UNC Pembroke and N.C. State (DI) have former a partnership to create a joint physics-engineering undergraduate degree program. - link
+ Per the article, Minot State has agreed to a series of policy changes to resolve a finding by the U.S. Education Department's Office for Civil Rights that the university violated Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. - link
+ The annual Center for World University Rankings of the top 1,000 colleges in the U.S. ranked UC San Diego No. 17, up four spots from last year. - link
+ The Waltham Business School at Bentley is ranked number two in regards to best value in the U.S. according to new rankings from Money magazine. - link
