SFA Athletics Announces Staff Promotions
9/11/2017 3:21:00 PM | General
Five members of SFA's athletics administration receive promotions
NACOGDOCHES, Texas - In an announcement made Monday by Stephen F. Austin Director of Athletics Robert Hill, five members of the athletic department administration have received promotions. In total, the five support staff members possess 80 years of combined experience with SFA athletics.
"The main reason for our success has been the dedication and hard work of these excellent administrators," Hill stated. "These promotions and realignment of duties will better serve our student-athletes and coaching staff. We are most thankful for their longevity and loyalty to SFA athletics."
Matt Fenley has been promoted to Senior Associate Athletic Director for Compliance. Beginning his 27th year with SFA athletics in 2017-18, he is responsible for ensuring SFA's compliance with all NCAA and Southland Conference rules and guidelines.
A native of St. Joseph, Mo., Fenley came to SFA in the fall of 1990 after serving nine years as assistant athletics director at Sam Houston State University. During his tenure at SFA, Fenley has participated on many different campus committees, is a three-time member of the Southland Conference Compliance Committee and currently sits on the NCAA Progress Towards Degree Waiver Committee.
Receiving a promotion to Senior Associate Athletic Director for External Affairs, John Branch began his 20th year of affiliation with SFA athletics in 2017-18. Branch oversees external areas of the athletic department that include media relations, marketing, video production, annual giving, ticket operations and licensing.
Under Branch's leadership, SFA's external staff has begun the process of distinguishing itself as one of the finest in the nation. In the summer of 2017, SFA's external staff was on the receiving end of a gold award in the category of best digital promotion from the National Association of Collegiate Marketing Administrators (NACMA) after constructing a promotional video and other elements from the 2016 NCAA Tournament run of the Lumberjack men's basketball team in Brooklyn, N.Y. At the conclusion of the 2016 NCAA Tournament, SFA's external staff earned the title of most engaged social media platform of the 68 participating teams by Medium.com.
Rob Meyers has been promoted to Associate Athletic Director for Business Affairs. Meyers has been a member of the department for 20 years and oversees business operations, budgeting, transportation, game operations and medical insurance administration. He also is the radio and television voice of SFA athletics.
A graduate of SFA, he joined the university staff after a 10-year career in radio and three years in the newspaper business. During his radio career, Meyers served as the news and sports director for several radio stations, including two in the Lufkin/Nacogdoches market.
Entering his seventh year on the SFA athletics staff in 2017-18, Rob McDermand received a promotion to Associate Athletic Director for Academic Affairs. McDermand oversees academic support, financial aid and continuing eligibility and came to Nacogdoches following a two-year appointment as an academic specialist at Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas.
The Toronto, Ontario, Canada, native started his career as the academic advisor and operations manager at the University of Waterloo in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, where he spent six years before matriculating to Ohio State where he was an Assistant Academic Resources Coordinator in the Student Athlete Support Services Office. He will also be completing his doctoral studies this fall.
After spending the last 27 years as a member of the the athletic training staff, Loree McCary received a promotion to the role of Assistant Athletic Director and will continue her role as the institution's Senior Woman Administrator - a position she has held since 2007. Her duties include oversight of sports medicine and athletic campus housing, serving as the university's Title IX coordinator, coordinating SFA's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, and the education of student-athlete life skills. McCary will also supervise three women's sports - tennis, bowling and softball.
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