Longtime Wingate baseball coach Ron Christopher died June 13. Christopher coached the Bulldogs for 24 seasons, earning a 536-343 overall record. He won South Atlantic Conference coach of the year honors in his last season. Christopher served as an officer in the NAIA when Wingate was a member of that organization and was active in the American Baseball Coaches Association. He was 74.

Other transactions

Associate athletics director – Jennifer Strawley resigned from Columbia to accept the position of director of academic and membership affairs at the NCAA national office.

Coaches

Men's basketball assistants – Scott Rigot resigned after two seasons at Duquesne… Kentucky hired Kenny Payne, a former assistant at Oregon … UC Irvine selected Amadou "Pape" Koundoul, who was an assistant at Centenary (Louisiana) last year.

Women's basketball assistants – Tulane tabbed Doshia Woods. Woods has coaching experience at Western Illinois, New Mexico State, Oregon State and Missouri.

Men's and women's swimming – Cal State East Bay selected Ben Loorz for its women's program. Loorz was an assistant at UNLV.

Men's and women's soccer – New England's Andy Biggs resigned from the men's program … Georgia State promoted Brett Surrency to lead the women's program.

Conferences

The Patriot League promoted James Greene to assistant media relations director. Greene was media and external relations assistant for the league.

Deaths

Tennessee Tech freshman cross country student-athlete Palmer Maphet died June 16 after an automobile accident near Portland, Maine. Maphet was doing summer mission work for the Tennessee Baptist Collegiate Ministry when he was killed. He was 19.