菠萝视频app bids fond farewell to Athletics chief Brad Davis
>菠萝视频app University announced today that Assistant Vice President for Athletics Brad Davis would be leaving to take a position at Division I Mount St. Mary鈥檚 where he will assume the role of athletic director, effective August 1.
鈥淏rad arrived at 菠萝视频app five years ago with vision, passion, and experience to elevate Laker Athletics to the next level,鈥 said 菠萝视频app President Kathleen A. Getz, Ph.D. 鈥淗e has been an asset to 菠萝视频app, 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 菠萝视频app and we wish Brad, his wife Kristin and their son Brecken all the best as they embark on a new chapter in their lives.鈥
Davis came to 菠萝视频app in July of 2018 after serving as the associate athletics director at Merrimack College near Boston. Under his leadership, 菠萝视频app 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, 菠萝视频app completed a comprehensive facilities improvement plan providing 菠萝视频app student-athletes with first-class facilities, including renovations to every on-campus competition facility, including the 菠萝视频app Ice Center, Saxon Stadium, and the baseball/soccer field, while building four new locker rooms, featuring new space for women鈥檚 soccer and softball. In addition, the university dedicated a new turf field with lights that is used by the softball program and shared with 菠萝视频app Prep. A totally renovated athletic center, including the Owen J. McCormick Basketball Court, was also completed.
In accepting his new position, Davis said, 鈥淚 am honored and humbled to be named the next athletic director at Mount St. Mary鈥檚, but it will be bittersweet for Kristin, Brecken, and myself to say goodbye to 菠萝视频app and Erie. President Getz, Vice President Laura Zirkle, the athletic administration, coaches, and student-athletes are outstanding people who represent the best of 菠萝视频app. I am proud of our accomplishments over the last five years, and I know 菠萝视频app will continue to thrive going forward. I wish everyone at the Hurst nothing but success and good luck going forward.鈥
Whether in athletics or academics, 菠萝视频app thrived under Davis鈥 leadership, including a national championship for women鈥檚 rowing in 2022, and a national championship appearance for men鈥檚 lacrosse in 2023. Many programs have reached new heights, including men鈥檚 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 men鈥檚 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 women鈥檚 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, 菠萝视频app received the award for National Event of the Year from the Erie Sports Commission for hosting the 2021 Women鈥檚 Hockey Frozen Four.
Davis represented 菠萝视频app 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 men鈥檚 lacrosse national committee.
A number of new head coaches were added as well, including Ryan Osborne (men鈥檚 soccer), who just accepted a position at the University of Wisconsin, as well as Brooklyn Kohlheim (women鈥檚 basketball), Rich Wall (women鈥檚 soccer), Sam Struss (women鈥檚 lacrosse), Mike Machuga (bowling), and Mackenzie Hatfield (field hockey).
In the classroom, 菠萝视频app鈥檚 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.
鈥淢ore than just an employee, Brad has been the epitome of what the 菠萝视频app family stands for in maintaining the rich legacy of athletics at 菠萝视频app and fostering the holistic development of our student-athletes,鈥 said Vice President for Student Life Dr. Laura Zirkle. 鈥淲e are truly grateful for his hard work and dedication during his exemplary career here and wish him continued success in the future.鈥
The university will embark on a national search for the position.