做厙勛圖 bids fond farewell to Athletics chief Brad Davis
>做厙勛圖 University announced today that Assistant Vice President for Athletics Brad Davis would be leaving to take a position at Division I Mount St. Marys where he will assume the role of athletic director, effective August 1.
Brad arrived at 做厙勛圖 five years ago with vision, passion, and experience to elevate Laker Athletics to the next level, said 做厙勛圖 President Kathleen A. Getz, Ph.D. He has been an asset to 做厙勛圖, enhancing our athletics programs and facilities, while being thoroughly dedicated to our student-athletes and to the integrity of our university. We are grateful for his contributions to 做厙勛圖 and we wish Brad, his wife Kristin and their son Brecken all the best as they embark on a new chapter in their lives.
Davis came to 做厙勛圖 in July of 2018 after serving as the associate athletics director at Merrimack College near Boston. Under his leadership, 做厙勛圖 immediately launched its first capital campaign for athletics and secured the largest alumni gift in school history: $4 million from William and Betsy Vorsheck.
During his tenure, in which he oversaw 26 NCAA DI and II athletic teams and nine club sports, 做厙勛圖 completed a comprehensive facilities improvement plan providing 做厙勛圖 student-athletes with first-class facilities, including renovations to every on-campus competition facility, including the 做厙勛圖 Ice Center, Saxon Stadium, and the baseball/soccer field, while building four new locker rooms, featuring new space for womens soccer and softball. In addition, the university dedicated a new turf field with lights that is used by the softball program and shared with 做厙勛圖 Prep. A totally renovated athletic center, including the Owen J. McCormick Basketball Court, was also completed.
In accepting his new position, Davis said, I am honored and humbled to be named the next athletic director at Mount St. Marys, but it will be bittersweet for Kristin, Brecken, and myself to say goodbye to 做厙勛圖 and Erie. President Getz, Vice President Laura Zirkle, the athletic administration, coaches, and student-athletes are outstanding people who represent the best of 做厙勛圖. I am proud of our accomplishments over the last five years, and I know 做厙勛圖 will continue to thrive going forward. I wish everyone at the Hurst nothing but success and good luck going forward.
Whether in athletics or academics, 做厙勛圖 thrived under Davis leadership, including a national championship for womens rowing in 2022, and a national championship appearance for mens lacrosse in 2023. Many programs have reached new heights, including mens basketball which qualified for five straight NCAA tournaments and reached the Elite Eight in 2019, and softball, which reached the NCAA Tournament and PSAC Championship for the first time in school history in 2022 and followed it up with a program record for wins in 2023. Davis also witnessed mens soccer win the PSAC Tournament in 2022 for the first time since 2016 and saw the baseball program make the national semifinals at the College World Series in 2019.
During his tenure, student-athlete enrollment increased from 520 to nearly 750 varsity athletes. Along the way, he added womens bowling and Stunt as varsity programs and spearheaded a revised enrollment and financial aid strategy designed to increase enrollment and tuition revenue for the university.
Led by Davis and his team, 做厙勛圖 received the award for National Event of the Year from the Erie Sports Commission for hosting the 2021 Womens Hockey Frozen Four.
Davis represented 做厙勛圖 on a national stage as well. He currently is the Chair of the Executive Committee of Atlantic Hockey and serves on the Executive Committee of the PSAC. He formerly chaired the Division II mens lacrosse national committee.
A number of new head coaches were added as well, including Ryan Osborne (mens soccer), who just accepted a position at the University of Wisconsin, as well as Brooklyn Kohlheim (womens basketball), Rich Wall (womens soccer), Sam Struss (womens lacrosse), Mike Machuga (bowling), and Mackenzie Hatfield (field hockey).
In the classroom, 做厙勛圖s student-athletes excelled as the department repeatedly led the PSAC in Academic Success Rate (ASR), including this year with a department GPA of 3.4 with all varsity teams recording a GPA of 3.0 or better.
More than just an employee, Brad has been the epitome of what the 做厙勛圖 family stands for in maintaining the rich legacy of athletics at 做厙勛圖 and fostering the holistic development of our student-athletes, said Vice President for Student Life Dr. Laura Zirkle. We are truly grateful for his hard work and dedication during his exemplary career here and wish him continued success in the future.
The university will embark on a national search for the position.