Vice President and Director of Athletics

Leadership Responsibilities

The Vice President and Director of Athletics will provide strategic leadership for all aspects of Tennessee Wesleyan Athletics. Responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:

Strategic and Institutional Leadership

·         Serve as the University's chief athletics officer and a member of the President's Cabinet, contributing to institutional strategy and decision making beyond Athletics.

·         Provide visionary leadership for the Athletics Department and establish a compelling vision for the continued advancement of Tennessee Wesleyan Athletics.

·         Develop and implement a strategic plan for Athletics aligned with the University's mission, strategic priorities, enrollment goals, and aspirations for continued institutional growth.

·         Advise the President on athletics strategy, conference and national athletics matters, facilities, personnel, revenue opportunities, and emerging issues affecting intercollegiate athletics.

·         Build strong partnerships across the University.

·         Represent Athletics appropriately with the University's Board of Trustees and other institutional constituencies.

Student Athlete Success and Competitive Excellence

·         Promote an athletics culture that places student success, academic achievement, character development, sportsmanship, wellness, and competitive excellence at its center.

·         Ensure that Tennessee Wesleyan's athletics programs complement and advance the University's educational mission.

·         Recruit, supervise, develop, evaluate, and retain outstanding coaches and athletics staff who demonstrate a commitment to the University and its student athletes.

·         Foster a department wide culture of accountability, collaboration, high expectations, integrity, and continuous improvement.

·         Partner with coaches, Enrollment Management, and other University leaders to support sustainable student athlete recruitment and retention.

·         Work collaboratively with faculty and academic leadership to promote academic achievement and appropriate support for student athletes.

External Relations, Philanthropy, and Revenue Generation

A significant priority for the next Vice President and Director of Athletics will be expanding the external reach and financial support of Tennessee Wesleyan Athletics.

·         Serve as a highly visible and effective ambassador for Tennessee Wesleyan Athletics throughout Athens, East Tennessee, the Appalachian Athletic Conference, the NAIA, and beyond.

·         Build meaningful relationships with alumni, donors, parents, corporate partners, community leaders, and friends of the University.

·         Partner closely with the President and University Advancement to identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward donors supporting Athletics.

·         Develop and grow a comprehensive annual giving program for Athletics, creating meaningful opportunities for alumni, parents, former student athletes, and friends to support TWU teams and student athletes.

·         Play a leadership role in securing philanthropic support for athletic scholarships, capital projects, facilities, program enhancements, and other strategic priorities.

·         Expand and strengthen corporate sponsorships and partnerships, identifying new opportunities to generate revenue while building mutually beneficial relationships with businesses throughout the region.

·         Develop creative approaches to increasing earned and contributed revenue through sponsorships, ticketing, events, philanthropy, facility use, camps, and other appropriate opportunities.

·         Maintain regular engagement with former student athletes and strengthen connections between Athletics and the University's alumni community.

·         Partner with Marketing and Communications to strengthen the visibility, reputation, storytelling, attendance, and brand of Tennessee Wesleyan Athletics.

·         Maintain an active and visible presence at University, community, alumni, donor, and athletics events.

Financial and Operational Leadership

·         Develop and manage the Athletics Department's annual operating budget and ensure responsible stewardship of University resources.

·         Establish appropriate financial controls and promote a culture of fiscal responsibility throughout Athletics.

·         Evaluate resource allocation among programs and establish priorities consistent with institutional goals.

·         Oversee athletics facilities and work collaboratively with University leadership on maintenance, improvements, safety, scheduling, and long range capital planning.

·         Provide leadership for game day operations, postseason competition, championship events, and other major athletics activities.

·         Utilize data and appropriate key performance indicators to evaluate departmental and program performance.

Facilities and Strategic Growth

·         Provide strategic leadership for the continued improvement and development of Tennessee Wesleyan's athletics facilities.

·         Partner with the President, University Advancement, and other University leaders in planning and securing philanthropic support for major athletics capital projects.

·         Help advance the University's vision for the proposed athletics complex at the former Ingleside School property and maximize its potential to serve both Tennessee Wesleyan and the greater community.

·         Identify opportunities for athletics facilities to enhance recruitment, competitive success, student experience, community engagement, and revenue generation.

Compliance, Governance, and Integrity

·         Ensure full compliance with University policies and all applicable Appalachian Athletic Conference and NAIA rules and regulations.

·         Promote the highest standards of ethics, integrity, sportsmanship, and institutional responsibility throughout the Athletics Department.

·         Maintain strong working relationships with leaders throughout the Appalachian Athletic Conference and NAIA.

·         Represent Tennessee Wesleyan in appropriate conference and national governance activities and professional organizations.

·         Remain knowledgeable regarding emerging issues and trends affecting NAIA and intercollegiate athletics.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

·         Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution.

·         A minimum of seven years of progressively responsible professional experience in intercollegiate athletics or a closely related field, including significant administrative, supervisory, or organizational leadership responsibility.

·         Demonstrated success leading people and building high performing teams.

·         Evidence of progressively increasing leadership responsibility.

·         Strong communication, interpersonal, organizational, and relationship building skills.

·         Demonstrated commitment to student athlete academic achievement, personal development, and competitive success.

·         Understanding of intercollegiate athletics administration, including budgeting, personnel management, compliance, facilities, and operations.

·         Ability and willingness to represent Tennessee Wesleyan effectively with donors, alumni, corporate partners, community leaders, parents, prospective students, and other external constituencies.

·         Demonstrated personal and professional integrity and a leadership philosophy consistent with the mission and values of Tennessee Wesleyan University.

Preferred Qualifications

·         Master's degree or other advanced degree.

·         Experience within NAIA, NCAA, or other intercollegiate athletics.

·         Experience as an athletics director, deputy or associate athletics director, senior athletics administrator, head coach with substantial administrative responsibilities, or comparable leadership position.

·         Demonstrated success in fundraising, donor cultivation, annual giving, sponsorship development, or revenue generation.

·         Experience with athletics facility planning, development, or capital projects.

·         Experience successfully recruiting, supervising, developing, and evaluating coaches and professional staff.

·         Familiarity with enrollment driven institutions and an understanding of the important relationship among athletics, student recruitment, retention, and institutional enrollment.

·         Experience building productive relationships between an institution and its surrounding community.

The Successful Candidate

The next Vice President and Director of Athletics will be a visionary, relational, entrepreneurial, and highly visible leader who appreciates both the traditions of Tennessee Wesleyan Athletics and the opportunity to build upon them.

The University seeks a leader who can simultaneously champion student athlete success, support coaches, manage a complex athletics operation, cultivate donors, develop corporate partnerships, engage the community, generate new resources, and contribute meaningfully to the broader strategic leadership of Tennessee Wesleyan University.

The successful candidate will recognize that at Tennessee Wesleyan, the Vice President and Director of Athletics is not solely an athletics administrator. This individual is a senior University leader, relationship builder, fundraiser, community ambassador, and strategic partner to the President who will help position Tennessee Wesleyan Athletics and Tennessee Wesleyan University for continued growth and excellence.