Meet the President: Dr. Steve Condon
Dr. Steve Condon has served as the third President and CEO at the United States Sports Academy since January of 2023. He is a longtime chancellor, university president, collegiate athletics director, coach, professor, and higher education leader.
Dr. Condon has more than four decades of service to higher education institutions and a wealth of experience dedicated to academic and administrative change management through a student-centered philosophy. Prior to USSA, he served as the Chancellor of Carolina University in Winston Salem, NC. In his previous roles, Condon has demonstrated proven results in fundraising, enrollment, accreditation leadership, and academic program expertise in both online and hybrid programs, and the ability to build powerful teams and networks that result in dynamic university results.
“The United States Sports Academy stands alone in the field of sports and higher education,” Dr. Condon said. “The Academy has great potential to expand its current reach and I think it is poised and ready to tackle a multitude of challenges across the higher education landscape.”
Dr. Condon earned his Ph.D. in education from the University of Mississippi and did post-doctoral study work in Educational Management at Harvard University. He also holds an education specialist degree from the University of Alabama, a master’s degree in curriculum design and development from Florida State University and a bachelor’s degree in education from Boston State College.
During his 16 months as President of the United States Sport Academy, Dr. Condon has focused on:
- Increasing enrollment through the doctoral degrees, bachelor’s degrees on campus, and intercollegiate athletics.
- Expanding degree offerings at the bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate level through promotional opportunities.
- Engaging and connecting with USSA alumni and stakeholders.
- Cultivating a positive work culture for employees through benefits and professional development.
- Building strong relationships and partnerships with corporations and community leaders by telling the Academy story and developing an identifiable brand.
- Attracting and retaining talented faculty and staff. Teambuilding through high energy activities.
Over the years, he has served various academic and administrative roles at prestigious Christian universities. Condon has served as the Vice President of St. Thomas University (FL), Reinhardt University (GA), and LeTourneau University (TX). He has served as Dean or Vice President for Huntingdon, Lambuth, Letourneau and Reinhardt Universities. He has been President or Chancellor of Tennessee Wesleyan, John Wesley, and Carolina Universities. He has also been an Athletic Director for Jeff Davis Community College, Huntingdon, St. Thomas, Reinhardt, John Wesley, and Carolina Universities. He is a professor of education since 2001 and currently serves as athletic director of USSA.
In addition to his academic work, Dr. Condon was also a highly successful coach and athletic director in several of his previous positions. In 2014, he was elected to the NCAA Coaches Hall of Fame for his work coaching golf at Huntingdon College and was also selected as the National Coach of the Year five times. Condon spent eight years coaching golf, winning four national titles and a world silver medal in 1986 and a gold medal in 1988. He has also been elected NACDA Administrator of the Year twice.
Condon is married to Becky Allen Condon, a retired professional librarian, and together they have two grown children: Curtis Condon, an Atlanta businessman, and Alexis Armstrong, Global Director of Human Resources. He succeeds Dr. T.J. Rosandich, who served as Academy President and CEO from 2016 to 2022.
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Alumni Spotlight: Bo Pagliasotti
Dr. Bo Pagliasotti graduated from the United States Sports Academy in 2021 with his Doctorate of Sports Management. He is the Chair of the Kinesiology Department and the Director of the Sports Management Master’s program at Southwestern Oklahoma State University. After thinking he would pursue a career coaching basketball, Pagliasotti fell in love with volleyball, joined a club team at his college, and eventually became the assistant volleyball coach. While an assistant for Texas A&M Commerce, he earned his bachelor’s degree in kinesiology and literature, and then a master’s degree in kinesiology. He then became head coach at Clarendon College in Texas helping to build a solid foundation for their volleyball program. Pagliasotti transitioned to his current school, Southwestern Oklahoma State University, as they were starting a volleyball program in the 2005 season. He remained the head coach for 7 years at SWOSU and began teaching courses for sports coaching. As Pagliasotti found a passion for teaching sports management graduate students, he decided to further his education by obtaining a doctorate in sports management, with the goal of becoming the graduate program director for sports management. Pagliasotti was drawn to USSA “because it was founded on principles of increasing the knowledge of coaches” which is exactly what he was looking for in his doctoral education. As he completed his doctorate, Pagliasotti became a Faculty Athletic Representative (FAR), which represents every SWOSU athlete at the NCAA. In the following year, he was elected Chair of the Kinesiology Department and remembers seeking counsel from USSA professors. “It was very valuable to get a coach’s perspective on non-coaching issues, as they have gone through these things in their careers.” One of his goals as department chair was to expand SWOSU’s sports management courses to offer a sports management bachelor’s degree. As he developed this degree at SWOSU, Pagliasotti was able to apply his studies at USSA to the program development and is thankful for the insights professors provided in the process. He now is the Director of SWOSU’s Sports Management Master’s program. Right after graduating with his doctorate in 2021, Pagliasotti was invited to be the Great American Conference Representative to the NCAA Division II’s management council. During this 4-year term as conference representative, Pagliasotti helps to recommend administrative policy and regulations to govern the division. Pagliasotti also enjoys serving on the Post-Secondary Scholarship Committee, which awards scholarships to students seeking a graduate degree. Most recently, he was elected to be the Chair of the Great American Conference’s FAR Committee.
Reflecting on his time studying at USSA, Pagliasotti recalls being challenged in his classwork and approach to doctorate studies. Pagliasotti recalls the shift in mindset that doctoral writing is not about what you know or think, but what you can prove. This perspective impacted Pagliasotti and changed his approach to academic writing and academics as a whole. Pagliasotti was encouraged to ask questions when he was faced with a challenge and took advantage of the professors’ expertise. USSA professors encouraged him to not be afraid of what he did not know, but rather recognize the gap in knowledge and ask questions to understand. Pagliasotti recognizes that he treats most situations in life that way now, with an open and listening ear before reaching a conclusion. He encourages current USSA students to apply themselves to their studies and utilize the expertise of professors who are there to help them. He encourages current students to be authentic to yourself and figure out what you love, not just what you are good at. “As long as you’re authentic with yourself, no one can beat you at that.”
Interested in being a future alumni spotlight? Please email alumni@ussa.edu with interest.
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Join us for Alumni Happy Hour June 21st
The Office of Alumni Relations is excited to host our first annual Alumni Happy Hour to honor and celebrate our 2024 graduates! The night before commencement, on Friday, June 21st, from 4:30-6:00pm, current graduates, their families, and local alumni are welcome to join us for heavy Hor d’oeuvres and drinks. Join us on our campus to connect with fellow alumni and graduates. This event is the perfect opportunity to celebrate your accomplishments, reminisce about your time at USSA, meet with your faculty and staff, and tour our campus. Local alumni, not participating in commencement, are also welcome to join Alumni Happy Hour to welcome our new alumni to the Alumni Association. Please RSVP with this link to tell us if you plan to attend. If you have any questions, please contact alumni@ussa.edu.
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Olympic Day Webinar
Olympic Day is a global event that celebrates the spirit of sport and the Olympic ideals. It is observed on June 23rd each year. Olympic Day aims to promote participation in sport across the globe regardless of age, gender, or athletic ability.
The United States Sports Academy is hosting a special webinar for Olympic Day on Friday, June 21, 2024. Our very own Dr. Noemi Zaharia, former Romanian Olympic swimmer and USSA’s Director of Sports Leadership, will be leading the webinar on Leadership Skills of Olympic Athletes. We invite you to join the informational series at 8:00am US Central Time or 15:00 Central European Time on June 21st. The webinar can be accessed with the following Zoom link: tinyurl.com/nzahariazoom.
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Stay Connected!
Help USSA stay connected with our alumni by filling out our quick alumni contact survey. Your information ensures we can keep you in the loop about exciting updates, events, and opportunities. Plus, don’t forget to join our alumni social media pages to stay connected with fellow alumni. Click the links to fill out the survey and join our social media pages today.
Alumni Contact Survey
Alumni Facebook Group
Alumni LinkedIn Group
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