By Elizabeth Sopakirite West
How would you describe UNCP Athletics when uou became the athletics director compared to now?
I think our revenues and our expenses match up a lot better now. The challenging part is that the cost of doing business has escalated dramatically, so what it costs to travel a team back in 2013 is night and day from what it costs to travel with teams now. And I think the students’ expectations in coming to college is a lot different. So what kind of services and support you received back in 2013 was really a lot more scaled down than it is now. So we have new money, but we need new money because that’s kind of what the expectation is for a recruited student athlete now, and what they receive in apparel, benefits and scholarship and nutrition and weightlifting is a lot different than what it was back then. So we’ve had to grow in many ways.
What accomplishments are you most proud of during your tenure?
Definitely proud of what all the teams have accomplished. To see you know when I came here, the vision statement we had was championship experience. I felt like if our coaches if our coaches treated the student athletes well. That would be a championship relationship that they would have, and from that, we’d be able to provide an experience that would be memorable and make them champions in life. I also think you know,
being able to move into Conference Carolina as a conference that makes more geographic sense for our students. So our students have less time on a bus, less missed class time. They’re in a league that has some of our more historical local rivals. It really has been an enhanced student experience.
What long term visions did you have for UNCP Athletics and how close did you come in achieving it?
Having succesful teams that can be regionally and nationally significant and put UNCP on the top levels of the regions and the nation. This also helps the way people think about the university. But a long term vision is how to get more teams to where they are reasonably in the hunt for national championships.
What were the biggest challenges you faced while leading UNCP athletics?
In the 13 years of being the athletic director of UNCP, i have faced lots of challenges like budget crisis that led to some sports being discontinued and sized down. We also experienced 2 hurricanes in 2016 and 2018 and then covid that affected sports training drastically, coaches had to wear masks, students had to train remotely and and get tested frequently.
How did UNCP athletics work to support student-athletes beyond competition?
As the athletic director I made sure they had a good student-athlete experience as well as good nutrition. We helped by connecting them to campus resources, with access to protein drinks and shakes after trainings.
What role do you believe athletics plays in the identity of UNCP?
I think it’s an ever-growing role. You know, we’re in a community that really, really supports athletics and wants to get behind it. In many ways, that’s the face of the university. Some people, the only interaction they have with the university is through athletics. So the better we can be, the more integrity we can act with, the better people view the university.
What are the criteria the next Athletic Director is envisioned to have?
What everyone is going to look for in the new incoming athletic director will be continued improvement in UNCP athletics, more wins in the regional championships and getting to move to state championships.
What is next for you?
I will be working in the chancellor’s office as the new Deputy Chief of Staff.