Faculty and staff at the United States Sports Academy are preparing to serve as part of the 2019 Crawfish Relay organized by Academy alumnus Anthony D’Onofrio. D’Onofrio is the director of the graduate athletic administration program at Endicott College in Boston, Mass. He is also the owner and director of the Crawfish Relay, a 200-mile running and cycling relay that begins in New Orleans, La., and ends at the historic Flora-Bama at the Alabama-Florida state line on the Gulf Coast. D’Onofrio earned his Master of Sports Science degree in sports management in 1997. D’Onofrio has worked in athletics administration, sports management, event organization and marketing since earning his Academy degree. “The biggest thing that my Academy education did for my career was that it helped me to build my professional [...]

United States Sports Academy graduate Dr. Thomas Sather said his master’s and doctoral degrees from the institution opened doors to his career serving the U.S. Navy and the Defense Health Agency (DHA). Sather is the chief of policy and programs, education and training of the DHA, a joint, integrated Combat Support Agency that enables the Army, Navy, and Air Force medical services to provide a medically ready force and a ready medical force to combatant commands in peace and wartime. He previously served as in several roles for the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps for 19 years. He earned both his Master of Sports Science (M.S.S.) degree and Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) degrees from the Academy. “The United States Sports Academy was key to opening doors of opportunity for me,” [...]

After being named one of the top assistant basketball coaches in the country last year, United States Sports Academy alumnus Drew Richards has been hired as the head men’s basketball coach at Lander University in Greenwood, S.C. Richards was ranked as one of the best assistant coaches in NCAA Division II by CoachStat.net, a website that uses analytical data to compile a comprehensive ranking of men’s basketball coaches in a variety of categories, for his work as associate head coach at the University of North Carolina Pembroke (UNCP). He was hired by Lander University in March 2019. Richards earned his Master of Sports Science degree in sports management from the Academy in 2013. He holds a bachelor’s degree in public relations from Missouri State University, where he was a four-year [...]

Lee Central High School coach and teacher George Wallace said the United States Sports Academy’s flexible scheduling and option to continue working in the sports field while learning benefited his family and career. Wallace earned his Master of Sports Science degree in sports management from the Academy in 2000. He teaches adaptive physical education to students with special needs at Lee Central in Bishopville, S.C. Like many other Academy graduates, Wallace was able to work as an educator and coach while earning his degree. “I have been appreciative through the years for the Academy and the opportunity it afforded me,” Wallace said. “The opportunity to advance my education without having to alter or stop my job and family responsibilities was very important to me then and would be very important [...]

United States Sports Academy 2018 Alumnus of the Year Scott Novack has played a major role for USA Rugby as the team he manages recently began a historic run and set its sights on Olympic qualification. Novack, a Colorado native, is the program operations manager for USA Rugby’s Men’s Eagles Sevens team, which recently recorded five consecutive podium finishes – including one championship – in the HSBC World Rugby Sevens series. The U.S. is the only team to reach the medal round in all five tournaments this season. The team is in first place in the world rugby sevens standings and at the end of the season, the top four teams earn berths to the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. Novack is a nationally acclaimed sports administrator and high performance director. [...]

In recognition of Black History Month, United States Sports Academy chair of sports management Dr. Brandon Spradley is writing a series of historical pieces dedicated to former black athletes and coaches from Mobile, Ala., for the institution’s daily sports blog, The Sport Digest.   Spradley earned his Doctor of Education degree in sports management from the Academy. In 2013, Spradley partnered with the Mobile County Training School (MCTS) Alumni Association to capture the unsung stories of key figures from that school. In continuing his dedication to that project, Spradley has written a series of articles for The Sport Digest, the Academy’s blog dedicated to contemporary issues in sport. Spradley’s articles highlight three key people who were represented in the project: Theodore Spradley III, Curtis Horton Sr., and Larry Shears. Spradley [...]

United States Sports Academy alumna Fay Minor was recently hired to be the Program/Sports Director at the YMCA in her hometown of Natchez, Miss. Minor, a former collegiate and professional basketball player, earned dual Master of Sports Science degrees in sports management and sports coaching from the Academy in 2010. She chose to pursue a graduate education from the Academy because the institution encourages everyone, male or female, to pursue careers in sport. “I love sports and when I started researching schools, the Academy had me mesmerized,” Minor said. “The idea they encouraged women and believed women could succeed in sports as a coach or an administrator was awesome. I started reading about female athletes who attended the Academy and moved on to administrative positions in sports. “I was proud [...]

Dr. Bill Holcomb, the founding director of the professional master’s program in athletic training at Mercer University, has been named the winner of the United States Sports Academy’s 2018 Dr. Ernst Jokl Sports Medicine Award. Holcomb is a professor at Mercer University in Macon, Ga., and is an Academy alumnus, having earned a Master of Sports Science degree in sports medicine from the institution in 1988. He holds a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Berry College and a Ph.D. in exercise physiology from Auburn University. Holcomb has been a Certified Athletic Trainer and Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist for more than 25 years. He is recognized as a fellow in the National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA) and the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).  He was awarded the NSCA’s 2017 Sports [...]

United States Sports Academy alumnus Mike Leach coached the Washington State football team to a school-best 11 wins in 2018 after the Cougars knocked off Iowa State 28-26 in the Alamo Bowl in San Antonio, Texas, in December. It was the second postseason win for Washington State under Leach, who has coached the Cougars (11-2) since 2012. After graduating from Brigham Young University with a bachelor’s degree in American studies and earning his Juris Doctor degree from Pepperdine University School of Law – where he originally planned to be an attorney – Leach decided to take a different career path as a football coach.  He earned his Master of Sports Science degree in sports coaching from the Academy in 1988. Leach, a native of Cody, Wyo., is the Academy Alumni [...]

  The United States Sports Academy’s 2017 Alumnus of the Year Dr. Dave Shrock continues to earn accolades for his involvement in the world of track and field. Shrock was recently named the recipient of the USA Track and Field (USATF) President’s Award in recognition of his more than 40 years of service in track and field as an athlete, coach, and administrator. Shrock currently serves as the chair of the USATF National Association's Committee, which is the organization’s largest, in addition to numerous USATF leadership roles including past president of the Pacific Association, USATF Pacific Coaching Committee chair, Coaching Education Executive Committee, and Men’s Development Committee. Shrock earned his Doctor of Education degree in sports management from the Academy in 2009 and serves as a member of the Academy’s [...]

United States Sports Academy alumnus Dr. Andy Dotterweich wears many hats in his role as an associate professor at East Tennessee State University (ETSU) and operations manager at an official Olympic Training Site in Johnson City, Tenn. Dotterweich earned dual Master of Sports Science degrees in coaching and sports medicine from the Academy in 1998. He is an associate professor in the Sport, Exercise, Recreation and Kinesiology Department at ETSU. He also serves as the operations manager for the Long-Term Athlete Development (LTAD) program at the institution’s Center for Excellence for Sport Science and Coach Education, the Olympic Training Site on the ETSU campus. Dotterweich said his Academy education “uniquely positioned” him to be successful in higher education and sport. “I chose the Academy because I wanted to be immersed [...]

California State University East Bay (CSUEB) assistant athletic director for development Darrell Bailey said the United States Sports Academy was a blessing for his career and a spring board into collegiate athletics administration. Bailey, who is charged with increasing revenue to the Pioneers athletics department through donor support and corporate sponsorships, earned his Master of Sports Science degree in sports management from the Academy in 2004. “The Academy was a blessing to me and my career, and I can definitely say it was a spring board for me into college athletics,” Bailey said. “My Academy education directly prepared me for my positions over the past 10 years through helping me understand the skills necessary behind being the athlete. Courses in sport administration, sport marketing, contemporary issues in sport and sport finance [...]