Stephy Samaras was chosen as head women’s lacrosse coach at Richmond. Samaras, a two-time all-American and four-year starter at Virginia from 1997-00, was head women’s coach at Quinnipiac from 2002-05 and served as head coach of the Wales National Team from 2005-08, guiding the squad to a European Championship in 2008.

Other transactions

Associate athletics director – Armstrong Atlantic State chose Jason Hall as associate director of athletics for compliance and student services, effective August 3. For the past three years, Hall has been an assistant athletics director for compliance and academic services at Eastern Illinois.

Men’s and women’s cross country – Evans Davis, an assistant men’s basketball coach at North Florida for the past three seasons, was appointed as head men’s cross country coach at Armstrong Atlantic State. Davis, who also will serve as the top assistant men’s basketball coach, will be responsible for re-establishing the Pirates’ men’s cross country program, which has been dormant since 1999.

Women’s basketball assistant – Worcester Polytechnic hired Kate Lynch as the top assistant women’s basketball coach. Lynch, who replaces Jessica Baker, joins the WPI staff after one season as director of basketball operations at Fairfield. 

Men’s and women’s soccer assistant – Newberry added Brandon Colombero as an assistant men’s coach. Colombero returns to his alma mater after working as a director at WCSC-TV, a CBS affiliate in Charleston, South Carolina, and as an account executive.

Staff

Athletic training – Tammy Collins has been hired as an assistant athletic trainer at Armstrong Atlantic State.

Sports information – DePaul tabbed Bob Sakamoto, a sportswriter for the Chicago Tribute from 1977-08, as an assistant director of sports information/media relations and awarded additional responsibilities to assistant director Alicia Powers. Powers, in her fifth year at DePaul, now will coordinate all graphic design projects in the athletics department in addition to handling the day-to-day duties as the primary contact for women’s basketball, men’s tennis and women’s tennis.

Deaths

Herb Hammond, former men’s ice hockey coach at Oswego State, Plattsburgh State and Brown, died July 22 after battling cancer. He guided Oswego State to a 176-122-5 record in 11 seasons from 1969 to 1980 before posting a 52-17-4 mark at Plattsburgh from 1980 to 1982. Hammond also spent six seasons in charge of the program at Brown. Beginning in 2008-09, the SUNYAC renamed its top individual men’s hockey honor the Herb Hammond Most Valuable Player of the Year Award.