Washington (Maryland) named Mitchell B. Reiss the school’s 27th president. Reiss has served as a U.S. presidential envoy, ambassador, policymaker, lawyer, author and professor. He will succeed Baird Tipson on July 1, 2010. Reiss currently serves as the diplomat-in-residence at William and Mary, where he has also held the positions of vice provost for international affairs, dean of international affairs, director of the center for international studies, professor of law and professor of government. He was a student-athlete (tennis and squash) at Williams. He holds degrees from Williams, Tufts, Oxford and Columbia as well as a certificate from the Academy of International Law at The Hague, Netherlands.

Other transactions

Coaches

Men’s basketball assistants –Terrell M. Stokes joined the men’s basketball staff at District of Columbia as an assistant coach, joining head coach Jeff Ruland. Stokes spent the last four years as an assistant at Loyola College in Baltimore.

Football – Southern U. fired Pete Richardson. Offensive line coach Damon Nivens will serve as interim coach until a replacement is named.

Men’s and women’s soccer – Detroit tabbed Nick Deren to lead its men’s program. Deren has been with the program as interim head coach since early October. He had been an assistant under former coach Morris Lupenec.

Men’s and women’s track and field – Wingate hired Joe Soehnlen to build the school’s program from scratch. He begins his duties January 1.

Deaths

Former Jacksonville State Athletics Director Jerry Cole died after a lengthy illness. He was 74. He served as the school’s first full-time athletics director from 1974 until his retirement in 1998. A former football student-athlete and graduate of Jacksonville State, Cole oversaw the school’s transition to Division I in 1995.