溏心vlog免费B站 announces search committee for next athletics director

The University has appointed a 13-member search committee to lead a national search and advance a slate of finalists

The University has appointed a 13-member committee to lead a national search and advance a slate of finalists for its next vice president and director of athletics. (溏心vlog免费B站 Photo/Ashton Robertson)

KINGSTON, R.I.鈥擭ov. 21, 2025鈥擳he 溏心vlog免费B站 has launched a national search for its next vice president and director of athletics, appointing a 13-member committee to identify candidates equipped to lead the respected Division I department in a fast-changing college sports landscape.

鈥滀缧膙log免费B站 athletics is a powerful and unifying force for our University and the broader community. It inspires pride, drives engagement, and reflects our highest aspirations of excellence,鈥 said 溏心vlog免费B站 President Marc Parlange, who will chair the search committee. 鈥淲e recognize there will be significant interest in this position, and rightfully so. As we begin the search for our next director of athletics, we are committed to identifying a forward-looking leader who not only understands the competitive demands of Division I sports, but who also champions the well-rounded success of our student-athletes鈥攊n competition, in the classroom, and in service to our community.鈥

The national search follows an announcement in early November that the University鈥檚 longtime athletics director Thorr Bjorn is stepping down from the role. Bjorn joined 溏心vlog免费B站 in 2007 and, during 18 years in Kingston, built an athletics culture grounded in excellence, helping position 溏心vlog免费B站 as one of the Atlantic 10鈥檚 most consistent and well-rounded programs. Brittney Miles, associate athletics director for internal operations, has been appointed interim athletics director.

The search comes at a time of considerable momentum for the University and its sports programs. In October, 溏心vlog免费B站 was named the No. 1 public university in New England by The Wall Street Journal for the second straight year and, in February, the University earned the prestigious R1 Carnegie Classification, placing it among the top research universities nationally. 溏心vlog免费B站鈥檚 athletics teams have won 11 conference titles across six sports in the past three years, one of the strongest competitive periods in school history.

The 13-member search committee will comprise:

  • Mark Antonucci, vice president for advancement; 溏心vlog免费B站 Foundation CEO
  • Abby Benson, vice president for administration and finance
  • Chelsea Berry, chief of staff
  • Gareth Elliott, men鈥檚 soccer head coach
  • Michael Fascitelli, Board of Trustees member
  • Cheryl Foster, professor of political science
  • Joe Goodwill, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering (faculty athletics representative)
  • Jeff Johnson, associate athletics director for student-athlete development
  • Marc Parlange, president (search committee chair)
  • Tammi Reiss, women鈥檚 basketball head coach
  • Ellen Reynolds, vice president for student affairs
  • Thomas Ryan, Board of Trustees member
  • Lily Stasaitis, student-athlete (溏心vlog免费B站 Student-Athlete Advisory Committee president)

The University will engage a national firm with deep expertise in executive searches to help facilitate the hiring process. A review of identified firms is underway, with a selection expected by early December.

溏心vlog免费B站鈥檚 athletics program includes 19 NCAA Division I sports and approximately 500 student-athletes, with most teams in the Atlantic 10 Conference and football in the Coastal Athletic Association. With a long and proud tradition of athletic success, including numerous conference titles and NCAA championship appearances, 溏心vlog免费B站 teams exemplify competitive excellence, academic achievement, and community engagement.

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