Interested in advertising a department opening in NAIA.ticker? Post your department-wide openings on the industry's leading jobs board, CollegeSports.jobs for inclusion in any of our College.town publications, where tens of thousands of administrators and coaches get news and updates about the industry. Want unlimited job-postings for one year? Inquire with [email protected].

NAIA Jobs powered by CollegeSports.jobs... New opportunities at the Mountain West Conference (DI), Susquehanna (DIII) and UAB (DI), below. CollegeSports.jobs continues to be the No. 1 jobs site in college athletics. Any job posted on CS.j gets distributed via College.town publications, including NAIA.ticker (3,900+ subscribers) and Coaches.wire (30,000+ subscribers). Post HERE to maximize the reach of your job openings, while enjoying the most affordable posting price offered in the industry. More bang, less bucks.

Rochester Christian names Women’s Volleyball HC Samantha Mangum and Baseball HC Scott Kunert as Co-ADs, starting November 1. Assoc. VP for Intercollegiate Athletics and Strategic Enrollment Jaime Cuellar, who has been serving as Interim AD: “The co-athletic director model lets our ADs keep coaching while gaining a unique view of how we can improve, and it develops leaders from within. We're excited for Coach Kunert and Coach Mangum to help lead RCU as co-athletic directors.” (link)

Wesleyan hires outgoing Life AD Jayme Pendergast as VP of Athletics and Chief of Staff to the President. President Meaghan Blight: “When we joined the NAIA, we were clear about the kind of athletics program we wanted to build at Wesleyan. Every team here is a women’s team, and every athletics investment we make is an investment in women. That commitment should be visible in the teams we offer, the facilities they use, the academic support available to them and the people leading our program. Jayme has guided teams to national championships while making academic achievement part of the measure of success. She brings the experience to help us make all these investments work together for our student-athletes.” (link)

Evangel AD/Football HC Chuck Hepola sat down with the Springfield News-Leader’s Liam Keating to discuss his decision to step away from coaching after over three decades. “It was getting really, really difficult. I didn’t think I was giving football what it deserved. I didn’t think I was giving the department what it deserved. It’s what was best for our family at this time.” Hepola on the AD role as he now moves into the AD office that previously sat vacant: “I like to drag things out of people and make them better. I love college football, but I love sports in general. As an athletic director, you’re really coaching the coaches and it gives you an opportunity to do that. … You’re always wanting to improve your facilities. You want to improve your teams. You want to win as many conference championships as we can. At the end of the day, we want young people to come here and use sport to teach biblical principles, get them a degree and do great things in life.” (link)

The NAIA names SVP of Finance and Sport Administration Kevin Dee as CFO and elevates VP of Membership Value and Governance Chesney Sallee to COO. President/CEO Jim Carr: “In recognition of their leadership and significant contributions to the NAIA, I’m pleased to announce the promotions of both Chesney Sallee and Kevin Dee. Their expertise and commitment will help the NAIA execute our strategic priorities and strengthen our foundation for long-term growth.” (link)

Oklahoma Panhandle State will vote for five seasons of competition at next week’s business meeting. AD Ashley Walyuchow: “Supporting this proposal was an easy decision for us. A fifth season of competition gives our student-athletes more time to grow as competitors, as students and as leaders, and it rewards the ones who are making real progress toward their degrees. It also gives Panhandle State and our NAIA peers a meaningful edge on the recruiting trail. When we sit down with a prospect and their family, being able to offer five seasons, without an age-based eligibility clock, is a powerful message about what the NAIA and the Aggies can offer.” (link)

Bethel (TN) receives a $1M pledge from Patty and Thomas Kahlden to support a number of athletic and institutional initiatives, with the Wildcats to rename the field at Walter Butler Stadium after the Kahldens. (link)

Montana Tech is exploring adding men’s and women’s wrestling, following the announcement of Providence’s closure at the end of this academic year. AD Matt Stepan: "Wrestling is part of the fabric of this community. We believe these student-athletes would feel that support in a special way as they compete for Montana Tech. … Montana is a strong wrestling state, and these proposed programs fit our campus mission of developing tomorrow's leaders. We're excited about the possibility of building on the foundation of excellence established by the University of Providence's wrestling programs.” (link)

People & Places…
➤ NACDA names Summit Racing Equipment Search and Discovery Engineer Eddie Mitchell as VP, effective November 9. Mitchell will be working primarily in the database, membership and event registration space, eventually replacing 31-year NACDA veteran Brian Horning, who announced plans to retire following the convention in June. (link)
➤ Olivet Nazarene hires Hiram (NCAA DIII) Director of Sports Information/Adjunct Professor John Alfes as Asst. AD for Communication. (link)

Coaches Corner…
➤ Bismarck State taps Football AC Jordan Melendo as its new Women’s Flag Football HC. (link)
➤ Dickinson State promotes Softball AC Jade Laviolette to HC. (link)
➤ Texas A&M-San Antonio removes the interim tag from Men’s Basketball HC David Smith. (link)

Preliminary data from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center of 46% of institutions shows public and private four-year undergraduate year-over-year enrollment is steady, up 0.3% and flat, respectively. Graduate enrollment at public and private institutions fell 2.1% and 1.4%, respectively, as master’s program enrollment dropped 3.7% YoY. Louisiana saw the biggest year-over-year jump in undergraduate students, with a 7.8% increase in students. From fall 2024 to fall 2026, Kentucky (+9.6%), Idaho (+8.2%), North Carolina (+7.2%), New Mexico (+7.0%) and Texas (+6.3%) saw the most growth. On the other end, Vermont has seen the largest two-year drop in undergraduate students at 5.4%. Among the top major fields, Health Professions and Engineering saw the largest increases, up over 6% each, while computer and information science enrollment plummeted 12.4%. Senior Research Director Matthew Holsapple: “The important change this fall isn’t widespread decline; it’s the loss of that broad-based growth we saw last year.” (link, link - data)

Interested in advertising a department opening in NAIA.ticker? Click here to submit your position. Post your department-wide openings with CollegeSports.jobs, where thousands of administrators coaches get news and updates about the world of college sports.

(Posted from most recent over the last 30 days)

(NEW!) Director of Athletics (University of Alabama at Birmingham / Birmingham, AL): UAB seeks an experienced athletics leader to drive competitive success, financial growth, compliance, and student-athlete development through strategic leadership. (DI) More details HERE. What would it cost to move to Birmingham? Click HERE.

(NEW!) Director of Athletics (Susquehanna University / Selinsgrove, PA): Susquehanna University invites inquiries, nominations, and applications for the position of director of athletics. (DIII) More details HERE. What would it cost to move to Selinsgrove? Click HERE.

(NEW!) Associate Commissioner, Sports Administration and Championships/Men’s Basketball (Mountain West Conference / Las Vegas, NV): The Associate Commissioner will serve the Conference and its member institutions to oversee and lead all aspects of the Conference’s men’s basketball enterprise. (DI) More details HERE. What would it cost to move to Las Vegas? Click HERE.

Executive Associate Athletic Director/Director of Athletic Development (Fairfield University / Fairfield, CT): Seeking a dynamic, accomplished, and highly motivated Executive Associate Athletic Director/Director of Athletic Development to lead its athletic fundraising program. (DI) More details HERE. What would it cost to move to Fairfield? Click HERE.

Senior Associate Commissioner for Institutional Services (Mid-American Conference / Cleveland, OH): The Mid-American Conference (MAC) is seeking an experienced, collaborative, and strategic leader to serve as Senior Associate Commissioner for Institutional Services. (DI) More details HERE. What would it cost to move to Cleveland? Click HERE.

Men's Assistant Volleyball Coach (Georgetown College / Georgetown, KY): Part-time assistant coach role assisting with recruiting, training, scouting, instructing and coaching. More details HERE.

Head Coach for Men's & Women's Tennis (Indiana Wesleyan University / Marion, IN): The Head Coach is responsible for the men's and women's tennis budget, strategic planning, courts and facilities, policies, compliance, scholarships, promotion and leadership of the team. More details HERE. What would it cost to move to Marion? Click HERE.

Men's Assistant Coach (Swarthmore College / Swarthmore, PA): Swarthmore College Men's Lacrosse is hiring an assistant coach. Duties include recruiting, logistics and on field coaching. Send resume to [email protected] (DIII) More details HERE.

Associate Athletic Director for Sports Analytics (William & Mary / Williamsburg, VA): The Associate AD for Sports Analytics leads the department's strategy for data, analytics, and artificial intelligence across all 23 varsity sports. (DI) More details HERE.

Director, Governance and Compliance (Mountain West Conference / Las Vegas, NV): The Director, Governance & Compliance will serve the Mountain West Conference and its member institutions supporting the day-to-day aspects of the Conference’s governance and compliance services. (DI) More details HERE.

Assistant Vice President, Licensing & Trademarks (University of Houston / Houston, TX): Lead the University of Houston System's licensing & trademarks strategy, protecting institutional brands and driving revenue through high-impact partnerships and innovative licensing programs. (DI) More details HERE.