Edition #895
September 1, 2026
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Olivet Nazarene names Jon Gordon Companies Certified Trainer/former Indiana Wesleyan Assoc. AD/ONU alum Luke Ward as its next AD, starting October 1. VP for Student Development Jason Stephens: “Luke is an Olivetian. He was shaped by this place and knows what it takes to make ONU special. He also brings meaningful experience from Trinity International, Oral Roberts, and Indiana Wesleyan to this role. He spent over a decade as a head coach from NAIA to D1 level; but also had administrative experiences that can help lead our athletic department.” (link)
The Athletic’s Ira Gorawara profiles Louisiana Christian after the football program’s win over Northwestern State (NCAA DI) last week. Of the Wildcats’ 24 full football scholarships, around 50 receive about half of a scholarship, with the rest of the 159-man roster without football aid. AD Reni Mason on the department’s growth since joining the NAIA in 2021: “Every year, I think we’ve gotten better. You don’t do what we did (Thursday) night without the right culture. … We can’t pay for that type of marketing. At a very minimum, for a small window, people are talking about Louisiana Christian University.” HC Ben McLaughlin: “If you need 30,000 people in a stadium and you need a multimillion-dollar locker room for you to want to play, this ain’t the place for you. … When you got a bunch of people doing it for the right reasons, it’s a once-in-a-career type of feeling that I bet a lot of coaches never get to that point.” (link)
Southeastern VP of Athletics Drew Watson sat down with College.town’s Anthony Grassi at the 2026 NACDA Convention to dive into the latest in Lakeland, coming off of a sixth-place finish in the Learfield Directors’ Cup. Here are some of his most notable comments…
➤ Asked about how the Fire have built for success, Watson says SEU has been judicious about sport sponsorship. “We have developed a philosophy of if it fits for our student-athletes and our university, we will invest in it, as opposed to we just need people on campus so we're going to figure it out. I think that leads to a poor student-athlete experience because typically the budget isn't there. One thing we'll do is we'll figure out the revenue we're going to generate from a new sport and then figure out what percentage of that revenue will go to enhance the student-athlete experience and not make them feel like they're just numbers.”
➤ A year ago, Watson was asked to evaluate all of its sports to see if there were any programs SEU did not need. That process ended up with the department cutting bass fishing and esports at the end of last year. “We ran into a situation where we need $30-$40,000 worth of new computers for that program. It wasn't that esports is less important to us. It was, ‘Okay, if we spend this $40,000 here, we won't have it to spend elsewhere.’ So that leads to, instead of just having all these programs that are surface level, we can kind of limit those offerings and go deeper."
➤ Watson on communicating the vision for athletics to others on campus: “Stories are powerful. So positive stories are powerful, negative stories are powerful. I think a lot of us get frustrated, but I think if people can just stick to it, figure out how to tell the stories that are impactful. So to tell a negative story: Is this what we want our student-athletes to say the experience here was like?’ I think any administrator, even if there is a drive, there's a financial crisis. It's okay. No, we don't. How can we figure out how to make those two things exist together? … My approach was simply to just be persistent and patient in presenting stories at the right time, in the right way. … It's taking advantage of moments that you've thought through and planned for. I think a lot of us become emotional and when you become emotional, I think strategy goes out the window.” Full conversation on BOSCA. (link)
Ottawa (KS) Football HC Nick Davis took to X to advocate for changing sport participation limits tied to scholarships. “At a time when small colleges are struggling with enrollment and retention, we should be doing everything possible to enhance the student-athlete experience. If our own rules limit opportunities to compete, we have to ask a difficult question: Why would students choose us? More importantly, why would they stay? … This proposal would help put the NAIA on a more level playing field with the perceived divisions above us and remove barriers that limit participation opportunities for student-athletes. This isn't about increasing scholarship limits. It's about increasing opportunity. I understand why these rules were originally put in place. But college athletics has changed. With NIL and other emerging opportunities, schools with greater resources will always find ways to create competitive advantages. That's the reality of today's landscape. Restricting participation opportunities isn't solving that problem. … This discussion isn't about gaining an advantage. It's about improving the student-athlete experience, supporting retention, and helping small colleges succeed. Sometimes the most important conversations aren't the most popular ones. They're the ones that need to be had.” (link)
Midland has unveiled its new official mascot, Magnus, the over six-foot personification of the Warriors brand. (link)
Deal Corner…
➤ The Heart of America extends its instant replay partnership with SkyCoach through 2029. (link)
➤ Columbia (SC) teams up with Southeast Sports Network to stream all Koalas contests. (link)
Our sincerest condolences go out to the entire Cumberland community, as well as to the family and friends of men’s soccer student-athlete Ethan Gailey following his recent passing. (link)
Coaches Corner…
➤ Clarke hires former Dickinson State HC Thomas Schwartz as the Pride’s new Cross Country HC/Track & Field AC. (link)
➤ Defiance taps former Lourdes Men’s Soccer HC Matt Johnson as its next HC effective immediately. (link)
➤ Faulkner selects former Football AC Chuck Knapp as its first Women’s Flag Football HC. (link)
➤ Missouri Valley promotes Cross Country AC Khobi Kellerman to HC. (link)
➤ William Penn names former Southern New Orleans HC Younne Reid as its Men’s and Women’s Track & Field HC. (link)
The Virgin Islands Board of Trustees will meet tomorrow to discuss how UVI will respond to the Middle States Commission on Higher Education’s recent announcement for the university to show why its accreditation should not be withdrawn. MSCHE is requiring a show cause report showing adequate financial resources, the budgeting process, record of responsible fiscal management, four years’ financial audits, compliance with all appropriate federal and state laws and more due today. Board of Trustees Chairman Henry Smock: “The Board is addressing several important and time-sensitive matters, particularly those connected to the University’s accreditation response and governance responsibilities. … We remain committed to transparency and to keeping the UVI community and the public informed as we carry out our responsibilities.” (link, link)
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(Posted from most recent over the last 30 days)
(NEW!) Jamie and Ellen Pollard Endowed Cyclone Director of Athletics (Iowa State University / Ames, IA): Iowa State seeks a visionary, strategic leader to serve as its next Director of Athletics and build upon a proud tradition of innovation and competitive excellence. (DI) More details HERE. What would it cost to move to Ames? Click HERE. The D1.dossier for this position is HERE.
(NEW!) Head Track & Field Coach (Missouri Valley College / Marshall, MO): Missouri Valley College seeks an energetic, visionary, and student-centered Head Track & Field Coach to provide leadership for the College's men's and women's track & field programs More details HERE.
Assistant Softball Coach (Northwestern College / Orange City, IA): Seeking assistant softball coach applicants to assist in leading a nationally contending program that won 3 consecutive GPAC titles from 2023-2025 and hosted back-to-back NAIA regionals in 2024-2025. More details HERE.
Assistant Women's Flag Football Coach (Hesston College / Hesston, KS): Assist the Head Coach in supporting the women’s flag football program through student-athlete development, recruitment and retention, team and equipment management, and practice and game preparation. More details HERE.
Assistant Director of Stewardship and Administration (University of Pennsylvania – Penn / Philadelphia, PA): Shape the donor experience for Penn Athletics, strengthening relationships with alumni and supporters while driving stewardship, engagement, and growth across 33 varsity programs. (DI) More details HERE.
Assistant Director, Creative Services (Big Ten Conference / Rosemont, IL): This position will support the creation and execution of compelling visual content that enhances the Conference's brand, events, championships, and marketing initiatives. (DI) More details HERE.
Graduate Assistant - Women's Soccer (Lakeland University / Plymouth, WI): Responsible for assisting the Head Coach, primarily with recruiting, organizing and running practices, fundraising, promotional activities, and other related assigned responsibilities. (DIII) More details HERE.
Account Executive (University of Louisville / Louisville, KY): Drive new sales and renewals for football and men's basketball, manage 1,000+ accounts, deliver customer service, build relationships, and consistently meet sales and outreach goals. (DI) More details HERE.
Assistant Athletics Director, Media Relations (William & Mary / Williamsburg, VA): Leads W&M Athletics Communications team in developing and executing strategies to enhance the department brand through proactive storytelling, disciplined messaging, and high-impact media operations. (DI) More details HERE.
Senior Associate Athletic Director of Internal Operations (South Dakota Mines / Rapid City, SD): Provide leadership for NCAA Division II athletics operations, overseeing compliance, events, facilities, & student-athlete services while helping drive success across 13 varsity sports. (DII) More details HERE.
Graduate Assistant for Athletic Operations (Morningside University / Sioux City, IA): Morningside University seeks an energetic, organized, and service-oriented graduate student to serve as the Graduate Assistant for Athletic Operations. More details HERE.
Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach (University of Pikeville / Pikeville, KY): The University of Pikeville in Pikeville, Kentucky seeks a dynamic and creative Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach. More details HERE.
Head Coach Women's Flag Football (Indiana Institute of Technology (Indiana Tech) / Fort Wayne, IN): The Indiana Tech Warrior Athletics team is seeking an energetic and dedicated coach to help lead, mentor, and inspire our student-athletes. More details HERE. What would it cost to move to Fort Wayne? Click HERE.
Spirit Director (Indiana Institute of Technology (Indiana Tech) / Fort Wayne, IN): The Indiana Tech Warrior Athletics team is seeking an energetic and student-focused professional to lead our cheer, dance, and band programs. More details HERE.
Director of Athletic Creative Content (Northwestern College / Orange City, IA): Seeking applicants who can lead in the new age of digital sports communication by conceptualizing and executing creative video highlights, video projects, and social media and website graphics. More details HERE.