Volleyball coaches appoint new director

Kathy DeBoer has been named executive director of the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA), effective January 23. DeBoer assumes leadership of the organization from Katherine McConnell, who stepped down.

In her position as commissioner of general services for the Lexington-Fayette (Kentucky) Urban County government, DeBoer oversees Parks and Recreation, the Lexington Sports Authority, the Blue Grass State Games and other administrative areas. Before that appointment, the former AVCA president spent 18 years at the University of Kentucky as a volleyball coach and athletics administrator. DeBoer guided the Wildcats to a 212-96 record and three Southeastern Conference championships in nine years as head coach and was named as the Tachikara/AVCA national coach of the year in 1987. She closed out her athletics administration tenure at Kentucky as a senior associate athletics director. As head coach at Ferris State, she led the program to three conference championships and two NCAA Division II tournament appearances between 1980 and 1983. DeBoer, an advisor to the USA Women’s National Volleyball Team from 1988 to 1996, was an SEC representative on the NCAA Division I Management Council from 2000 to 2002.

A standout student-athlete at Michigan State, DeBoer has written a book and numerous articles and book chapters on competition, coaching and intercollegiate athletics.

Harris to step down at West Texas A&M

West Texas A&M director of athletics Ed Harris has announced plans to retire, effective August 31.

Under Harris’ leadership over the past 11 years, Buffalo sports teams have captured 18 Lone Star Conference championships and made 27 NCAA tournament appearances. Harris currently serves on the Division II Championships Committee and formerly was a member of the Division II Management Council. Before his stint at West Texas A&M, he spent 10 years as athletics director at Missouri Western State. In addition, he was an athletics administrator at North Carolina-Asheville, where he also served as head men’s tennis coach from 1977 to 1983.

Named as the 2000 West Region Athletics Director of the Year by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics, Harris earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from North Carolina-Asheville, in 1966, and a master’s degree in education from Western Carolina in 1972.

Chief executive officers

Villanova President Edmund J. Dobbin announced plans to retire, effective at the end of the academic year. The school appointed Peter M. Donohue as Dobbin’s successor. Donohue serves as associate professor and chairman of the department of theatre at the school … Josefina Castillo Baltodana, executive vice president for strategic planning and advancement for Alliant International University system, was named as president at Marian (Wisconsin), effective July 1. Baltodano succeeds Richard I. Ridenour … Ashland selected Frederick Finks as president, effective July 1. Finks has been president of Ashland Theological Seminary … Adams State named David Svaldi as interim president. Svaldi is provost at the school … J. Charles Lee, president at Mississippi State announced retirement plans … Joseph Crowley was appointed as interim president at Nevada … Mercer President R. Kirby Godsey announced retirement plans, effective in July. The school selected William D. Underwood as president. Underwood currently serves as interim president at Baylor.

Director of athletics

Watson Brown relinquished responsibilities as athletics director at Alabama-Birmingham, but will continue as head football coach. Brown has been in charge of the football program for 11 seasons and held the dual role for three years. The school announced Richard Margison, vice-president for finance and administration, as interim director of athletics … Akron hired Mack Rhoades as athletics director. For the past seven years, Rhoades has been at Texas-El Paso and most recently has served as executive senior associate athletics director … Bill Dukett was elevated to director of athletics at Washington & Jefferson, effective February 1. Dukett joined the school as associate head football coach in 1982 and has been a major gifts officer since 2002 … New England named Kim Allen as athletics director. Allen formerly was associate athletics director at Smith … Liberty’s Thomas R. Park resigned as athletics director … Molloy hired Susan Cassidy-Lyke as athletics director. Cassidy-Lyke, who also will serve as head women’s softball coach, has spent the past nine years as head women’s volleyball coach at Post.

Associate directors of athletics

Kutztown selected John Gump as interim associate athletics director for intercollegiate athletics services. Gump has been head women’s volleyball coach at the school for nine seasons and takes over for Lauri Mondschein, who became assistant athletics director and senior woman administrator at Louisiana-Monroe … Julie Berg was promoted to senior associate athletics director at Florida International. Berg, who has been with the athletics department since 1990, was associate athletics director for internal operations.

Assistant directors of athletics

Keith Miller was hired as assistant athletics director for compliance at Baylor. Miller has been an assistant athletics director and top compliance officer at Southern California … Erin Odegard was chosen as assistant athletics director, senior woman administrator and head women’s lacrosse coach at Fontbonne. The lacrosse program is scheduled to begin varsity competition in the fall of this year. Odegard most recently has been coaching lacrosse in England.

Coaches

Baseball – Hamilton named Rocco Bouse as head coach.

Baseball assistants – Eric Alvarez was elevated to head recruiting coordinator for baseball at New Jersey City. Alvarez, who is in his second year with the program, has been assistant recruiting coordinator and first base coach. The school also announced the resignation of Dan Olear as assistant coach and recruiting coordinator.

Men’s basketball – District of Columbia tabbed Julius L. Smith Jr. as head coach.

Field hockey – Franklin and Marshall’s Melissa Reiss resigned as head coach. Reiss guided the Diplomats to a 66-65 record in seven seasons.

Football – Theophilus Danzy, head coach at Stillman, was reassigned as a consultant to the director of athletics. In seven seasons in charge, Danzy led the program to a 40-27 record … Wartburg promoted Eric Koehler to head coach. Koehler has been with the school since 2002 and most recently has served as offensive coordinator, quarterbacks coach and assistant head coach … Carroll named Henny Hiemenz as head coach to replace Jeff Voris, who was hired as head coach at Butler. For the past three seasons, Hiemenz has been offensive coordinator and director of recruiting at the school and formerly was an assistant at Ithaca, Illinois Wesleyan and Utica. Butler’s Vois takes over for Kit Cartwright after five years at Carroll … Lou Tepper accepted responsibilities as head coach at Indiana (Pennsylvania) to replace the retired Frank Cignetti. Since 2000, Tepper has been in charge of the program at Edinboro … Northern Colorado appointed Scott Downing as head coach. For the past three years, Downing has worked as recruiting coordinator, tight ends coach and kicking coach at Nebraska … Rice selected Todd Graham as head coach to replace Ken Hatfield, who resigned. Graham has been defensive coordinator at Tulsa since 2003 … Danny Rocco was hired as head coach at Liberty. Rocco has been associate head coach and linebackers coach at Virginia … Steve Stetson accepted responsibilities as head coach at Hamilton. Stetson, who has been associate head coach and defensive line coach at New Hampshire for four years, formerly was head coach at Hamilton from 1982 to 1984.

Football assistants – Kansas State added James Franklin as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. Franklin has been receivers coach with the NFL’s Green Bay Packers and formerly was an assistant coach at Maryland, Kutztown, East Stroudsburg, James Madison, Washington State and Idaho State … Robert Walker resigned as defensive line coach and recruiting coordinator at Stephen F. Austin … Elon added Jay Bateman as defensive coordinator and linebackers coach, Warren Ruggiero as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, Rich Skrosky as offensive line coach and Tony Trisciani as defensive backs coach and special teams coordinator. Bateman was run defense coordinator and defensive line coach at Lehigh this past season and Ruggiero has spent the past six seasons as quarterbacks coach at Hofstra, where he also has been offensive coordinator for the past four seasons. Skrosky was offensive coordinator and offensive line coach at Columbia for five seasons and during the 2005 season, Trisciani served as linebackers coach at Lehigh. In addition, Shane Burnham and Louis Clyburn will continue with the program. Burnham will move to defensive ends coach after spending last season in charge of inside linebackers. Clyburn takes over as running backs coach. Last season, he was offensive line coach … Jemal Singleton was tabbed as running backs coach at Air Force. Singleton has been junior varsity head coach at the school and replaces Tim Horton … Elon appointed Marc Yellock as defensive line coach. For the past two seasons, Yellock has been an assistant at East Carolina … Eric Moe was added as defensive backs coach and Derek Moore was tabbed as offensive line coach at Upper Iowa. Moe has been an assistant at Wisconsin-Stout for the past three seasons and Moore most recently has been offensive line coach, strength and conditioning coordinator and special teams coordinator at Lincoln (Missouri).

Men’s and women’s lacrosse assistant – Delaware named Liz Frengs as an assistant women’s coach. Frengs has spent the past season as an assistant at Marist.

Women’s soccer – Jeff Hansen was appointed as head coach at Missouri Western. For the past two years, Hansen has been an assistant coach at Central Missouri State … Connecticut College chose Winnie Bing Edmed as an interim head women’s coach. Edmed most recently has been head women’s soccer coach and an athletics administrator at Mitchell College.

Women’s soccer assistants – Wilmington (Delaware) chose Melissa Horwitz and Josh Ruggiero as assistant coaches. Horwitz is a 2005 graduate of the school, where she was captain of the 2004 regular season championship team. Ruggiero, a former two-year starter in goal at the school, spent last season as an assistant coach at Widener.

Softball assistant – Jamie Trudeau was named as an assistant coach at Plattsburgh State. Trudeau has been an assistant at South Dakota.

Men’s and women’s tennis – CCNY tabbed Eric Stone as head men’s coach … Shenandoah tabbed Kimberly Scruton as head men’s and women’s coach.

Men’s and women’s track and field – Harvard’s Frank Haggerty announced plans to retire as director of men’s and women’s cross country and track and field, effective June 30. Haggerty has guided the Crimson programs since 1982.

Men’s and women’s volleyball – Arlisa Hagan accepted responsibilities as head women’s coach at Georgetown. Hagan, who replaces Li Liu, has been an assistant coach at Florida for four years … Carmine Cortazzo announced plans to retire after eight seasons as head coach at Indiana (Pennsylvania). Cortazzo, who led the program to a 185-86 record, was twice named Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference West coach of the year and also earned recognition as the American Volleyball Coaches Association Atlantic Region coach of the year in 2001, 2002 and 2003 … Lander named Carla Decker as head coach. For the past two years, Decker has been head coach at West Virginia Wesleyan.

Men’s and women’s water polo – Alexander J. Rodriguez was hired as head men’s and women’s coach at Pomona. Rodriguez has been an assistant at Pepperdine.

Staff

Sports information – Ryan Klinkner was hired as sports information director at St. John’s (Minnesota) to replace Celest Stang, who became assistant athletics media relations director at St. Cloud State. For the past year, Klinkner was a graduate assistant for media relations at St. Cloud State.

Conferences

The Southern Conference announced John Iamarino as commissioner, effective January 30. For the past nine years, Iamarino, who replaces Danny Morrison, has been commissioner of the Northeast Conference … The Missouri Valley Conference chose Tod Meisner as assistant director of communications and promoted Dave Biancamano to director of operations … The Ohio Valley Conference elevated Lee Moses to assistant commissioner for institutional services and promoted Donyale Canada to assistant commissioner for championships.

Deaths

Former Rowan director of athletics and coach Domenick Michael “Mickey” Briglia died of pulmonary fibrosis January 3. He was 76. Briglia, who joined the school (then Glassboro State College) in 1956, coached golf, tennis and baseball and spent 25 years as athletics director before retiring in 1988. Briglia, a 1950 Ohio graduate, earned all Mid-American Conference recognition as a baseball student-athlete and was co-captain of the team as a senior.

Longtime LSU broadcaster John Ferguson died December 17 at the age of 86. Ferguson began broadcasting Tiger athletics contests in 1946 and retired in 1987.

Texas Christian football student-athlete Kasey Davis died January 3. He was 20. Davis appeared in two games this season as a kickoff specialist. 

Rod Dedeaux, former head baseball coach at Southern California, died January 5 of complications from a stroke. He was 91. The Trojans compiled a 1,332-571-11 record, collected 11 NCAA titles and captured 28 conference championships during Dedeaux’s 45-year tenure, which ended with his retirement in 1986. He also led the U.S. National Team to a silver medal in the 1984 Olympics.

Former Northern State director of athletics and coach Clark Swisher died November 28. He was 89. Swisher also served as president of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics.

Miller Upton, former president at Beloit, died December 19. Upton was 88.