Longwood promotes assistant soccer coach

 Longwood has elevated Jon Atkinson to head men's soccer coach.

For the past two years, Atkinson has served as an assistant men's coach at the school. Before joining the Longwood athletics department, he was an assistant at West Virginia Wesleyan from 1999 to 2003. During his tenure there, the Bobcats captured two West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championships. Atkinson, who has coached youth soccer in England and the United States since 1996, also worked as head boys' and girls' coach at Lewis County (West Virginia) High School in 2001-02.

Atkinson earned a bachelor of science in sports management at Wearside College and a bachelor of arts in business administration at Sunderland University. In addition, he earned a master of business administration at West Virginia Wesleyan, where he established a school scoring record as a member of the men's soccer squad.

TRANSACTIONS

Chief executive officers

Simmons President Daniel S. Cheever Jr. announced plans to resign, effective July 2006 ... Richard F. Giese was named as president at Mount Union, effective July 1. Giese has been president at Monmouth (Illinois) ... Providence selected Brian J. Shanley as president, effective July 1. Shanley has been an associate professor of philosophy at Catholic University of America.

Directors of athletics

Timothy J. Dillon resigned as director of athletics at Canisius. Dillon had been in charge of the athletics department since April 2000. The school announced John Maddock, associate athletics director for external affairs, as interim athletics director ... Craig Coleman was named as director of athletics at Robert Morris, effective May 1, to succeed the late Susan K. Hofacre. For the past 14 years, Coleman has guided the softball team and led the Colonials to five Northeast Conference tournament championships and two regular-season titles.

Deputy directors of athletics

Notre Dame elevated Missy Conboy and Bernard Muir to deputy athletics directors. Conboy and Muir most recently have served as senior associate athletics directors.

Associate directors of athletics

Canisius' Marshall Foley resigned as associate athletics director. Foley joined the school as an assistant to the athletics director in July 2000 and was promoted to associate athletics director in 2001 ... Eugene Corrigan Jr. was named as associate athletics director for corporate relations and marketing at Notre Dame. Corrigan has been associate athletics director for marketing at Navy for the past two years. The school also promoted John Heisler and Bill Scholl to senior associate athletics directors and elevated Mike Karwoski to associate director of athletics for compliance and student-athlete development.

Assistant directors of athletics

Missouri-Kansas City chose Will Rudd as assistant athletics director for external relations. Rudd, a former member of the NCAA national office staff, most recently has filled the post on an interim basis ... Tim Wheaton was named as assistant director of athletics at Harvard. For the past 18 years, Wheaton has worked as head women's soccer coach at the school, but will reliquish those responsibilities ... Tulane appointed Betsy Becker as assistant athletics director for external operations. Becker most recently resigned in December as head women's volleyball coach at the school.

Coaches

Baseball ­ Marty Miller stepped down as head baseball coach at Norfolk State but will continue as acting director of athletics. In more than 32 years as head coach, Miller compiled a 718-543-3 record.

Baseball assistants ­ George Washington added Jim Mason and Darryl Morhart as assistants.

Men's basketball ­ Northern Iowa awarded head coach Greg McDermott a one-year contract extension through 2010. McDermott has been in charge of the program for four seasons and guided the school to its first Mountain Valley Conference championship last season ... Derek Waugh signed a three-year contract extension through the 2007-08 season as head coach at Stetson. Waugh has led the program for five seasons.

Women's basketball ­ Nick Keith announced plans to retire as head coach at Southeastern Oklahoma, effective at the end of the 2004-05 season. Keith has guided the program since 1981 and is its winningest coach with a 402-253 mark.

Field hockey ­ Pam Stuper was elevated to head coach at Yale to replace Ainslee Lamb, who was chosen as head coach at Boston College. For the past seven seasons, Stuper has worked as an assistant with the program ... Philadelphia U. chose Christy Knab as head coach. Knab, who takes over for Denise Junkerman, has been an assistant coach for the Lady Rams for two seasons.

Field hockey assistant ­ Kelly Raymond was selected as an assistant at Philadelphia U.

Football ­ Upper Iowa head coach Courtney Messingham resigned after two years to become a wide receivers coach at Southern Mississippi ... William Paterson hired Mike Miello as head coach. For the past four seasons, Miello has been an assistant at Rutgers and served as assistant to the head coach during the 2004 campaign.

Football assistant ­ Issac Collins was appointed as defensive secondary coach at Delaware. Collins, most recently the associate head coach, defensive coordinator and defensive secondary coach at Holy Cross, succeeds Paul Williams, who became defensive secondary coach at Western Michigan ... Florida A&M announced the resignations of James Joe, offensive coordinator and receivers coach; Derek Hill, interim defensive coordinator and secondary coach; Allen Bogan, running backs coach; Herbert Moore, defensive line coach; and Terry Jones, linebackers and special teams coach ... Patrick Higgins was chosen as receivers coach and special teams coach at Brigham Young. Higgins was tight ends coach at Louisiana Tech last season ... Southern California's Norm Chow resigned to become offensive coordinator for the NFL's Tennessee Titans. Chow has been the Trojan's offensive coordinator since 2001. The school named Pat Ruel as offensive line coach, chose Steve Sarkisian as quarterbacks coach and elevated Ken Norton Jr. to full-time linebackers coach. Ruel was an offensive line assistant with the NFL's New York Giants during the 2004 season and replaces Tim Davis. Sarkisian, who succeeds Carl Smith, spent the past season as quarterbacks coach with the NFL's Oakland Raiders ... Tom Hayes was added as defensive coordinator and secondary coach at Stanford. Hayes formerly has been a defensive coordinator at UCLA, Oklahoma and Kansas ... Pete Hurt accepted responsibilities as offensive line coach at Air Force. Hurt, who takes over for John Reagan, was head football coach and athletics director at Clinton (Mississippi) High School for three seasons.

Men's and women's golf assistant ­ Stan Utley was selected as a volunteer assistant men's coach at Missouri.

Men's and women's lacrosse assistant ­ Siena named Christopher Landers as an assistant men's coach. Landers formerly served as an assistant women's coach at the school.

Women's soccer ­ Missouri Western State hired Leroy "Chip" Wiggins as head coach. The program is scheduled to begin varsity competition this fall. For the past three seasons, Wiggins has worked as head women's coach at Ottawa University.

Women's soccer ­ Elon tabbed Chris Webb as head coach. Webb has been an assistant coach at East Carolina for the past five seasons.

Men's and women's tennis ­ Rohit Kumar was hired as head men's coach at Newbury ... Westminster (Pennsylvania) awarded additional responsibilities to Scott Renninger as head women's tennis coach. Renninger, who replaces the retiring S. Kipley Haas, will continue as head men's tennis coach, but will relinquish duties as an assistant football coach at the school ... Da-lai Wu was tabbed as head men's and women's coach at Caldwell.

Men's and women's volleyball assistants ­ Chad Willis was named as an assistant coach at Elon. Willis formerly worked three years as head coach for the women's club team at James Madison and most recently spent the 2004 season as a coaching intern at Elon ... Marshall selected Maren Witzel as an assistant coach. Witzel formerly was an assistant at Michigan State.

Staff

Development -- Corey Guerrera was chosen as external officer for the Tulane Athletics Fund.

Ticketing operations -- Tulane hired Dan Holden as ticket manager. Holden, who replaces Tim Zenner, was assistant box office manager at the Greensboro (North Carolina) Coliseum Complex.

Conferences

The Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference announced Daniel P. McKane as executive director, effective July 1, to succeed Carlyle Carter, who resigned. McKane has been assistant executive director of the league for the past five years.

DEATHS

Western New Mexico football student-athlete Nicholas Lee Arnold, died February 6. Arnold, an offensive lineman, was 20.

Former North Dakota State all-American wrestling student-athlete Lance Koenig died September 22 in military action in Iraq. He was 33. Koenig, a former all-America selection, earned a North Central Conference title in 1994 and made two appearances in the NCAA Division II national championship tournament.

Former Immaculata President Sister Mary of Lourdes McDevitt died February 9. She was 90. McDevitt was selected as president of the school in 1955. During her 17-year tenure, the school defeated West Chester, 52-48, to earn the AIAW title, the first national women's basketball championship, in 1972.

--Compiled by Leilana McKindra