Western Michigan hired Dave Kuzara as the sixth head coach of the Bronco women’s gymnastics program. In addition to formerly spending 10 seasons in charge of the program at Massachusetts, Kuzara also previously was as an assistant coach at Arkansas, West Virginia and Michigan.

Other transactions

Director of athletics – Joel Thirer resigned as athletics director at Binghamton.

Men’s basketball – Southwest Minnesota State head coach Greg Stemen resigned, effective immediately. In eight seasons, Stemen, the winningest coach in the program’s history, posted a 141-97 career record and led squads to one Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference championship, one NCAA region championship and an appearance in the NCAA Elite Eight.

Men’s and women’s track and field – Dan Steele was chosen head men’s and women’s track and field and cross country coach at Northern Iowa. Steele, who recently finished his seventh season at Oregon, was the 2009 indoor track NCAA coach of the year.

Baseball – Shenandoah chose Patrick Wingfield as an assistant coach. Wingfield, a 2008 Virginia who played third base for the Cavaliers, will assist with the varsity program and serve as associate head coach of the junior varsity team.

Men’s and women’s swimming and diving – New York University added Lizzie Rippe as an assistant women’s coach.

Deaths

Lees-McRae track and field student-athlete Alonzo Clark died September 29 from severe head injuries sustained in a single-car collision. The sophomore sprinter competed in the 400- meter relay, 1,600-meter relay and the 200-meter dash for the Bobcats and helped guide the team to the Conference Carolinas track and field championships last spring … Longtime Western Carolina football team doctor Walter J. Durr died September 29. He was 97.  He became involved with the school after he responded to public address pleas for a physician during a 1951 football game. After assisting on the field that evening, he was a fixture on the sidelines as the football team’s official physician and unofficial advisor to the coaching staff until the late 1990s.