Featured Alumni

Dr. Craig Bogar said his doctoral degree from the United States Sports Academy helped him secure his position in a faculty leadership role in the American Public University System (APUS). Bogar, who lives in Gulf Shores, Ala., earned his Doctor of Education degree in sports management from the Academy in 2010. He is also a former dean of student services and adjunct faculty member at the Academy, pursuing his doctoral education while working full time at the institution. Today he serves APUS as an associate professor of sport management and the faculty director for the School of Health Sciences, where he oversees the work of approximately 140 faculty members. APUS is an online learning institution that is composed of the American Military University (AMU) and American Public University (APU). “I [...]

Collegiate men’s basketball assistant coach Jermaine Johnson said he learned how to be a transformational leader while earning his bachelor’s degree from the United States Sports Academy. Johnson was recently hired by Troy (Ala.) University as an assistant to head coach Scott Cross. He previously spent five seasons as an assistant coach – then associate head coach – at the University of Tennessee-Martin. Johnson said the Academy taught him to take a holistic view of coaching, to see the job as a collection of pieces and parts that are intimately connected. Johnson earned his Bachelor of Sports Science degree in sports coaching from the Academy in 2007. “I appreciated that the Academy was so focused on the details,” Johnson said. “The curriculum was detail oriented and focused on methodology, and [...]

United States Sports Academy alumna Dr. Monique Carroll recently joined the department of athletics at South Carolina State University as the deputy athletic director for internal operations and senior women’s administrator. Carroll earned her Master of Sports Science degree in sports management from the Academy in 2012 before earning her doctoral degree in sports management from Northcentral University. “I am humbled as well as excited to join the South Carolina State University family. We have tremendous Bulldog tradition to uphold and enhance while providing a first-class experience for our student-athletes,” said Carroll. “I look forward to partnering with AD Danley in executing his vision for athletics while working with our coaches, staff, campus, community, and alumni for success.” Carroll previously worked for nine years at Prairie View A&M University, where [...]

After studying in the United States Sports Academy’s doctoral program and working on the institution’s campus, Dr. Jason Williams has been hired as a member of the teaching faculty at Florida State University (FSU) in Tallahassee, Fla. Williams worked at the Academy for three years as a doctoral teaching assistant until his graduation, when he earned his Doctor of Education degree in Sports Management with a Sports Health and Fitness specialization. He was recently hired as a teaching faculty member in FSU’s College of Human Sciences, teaching strength and conditioning and applied physiology courses. “I really enjoyed my time at the Academy,” Williams said. “The Academy attracts high quality people, from everyone on the staff to the faculty and leadership. At the Academy I was fortunate to be able to [...]

Veteran educator, administrator, coach and United States Sports Academy alumnus Ray Canady Jr. has been named the athletic director at Irmo High School in Columbia, S.C. Canady earned his Master of Sports Science degree in sports management from the Academy in 2004. He had served as the assistant athletic director at Irmo High School since 2017 and has worked as a social studies teacher there since 1994. He has also coached varsity baseball, junior varsity football and varsity football quarterbacks in his time at Irmo. “Irmo is home to me, and I’m so proud to serve in the role of athletic director,” said Canady. “With a new head football coach and years of athletic excellence to build on, it’s a great time to be a yellow jacket. We’re excited to [...]

Anthony Anderson continues to rise up through the ranks of collegiate basketball coaching with the help of his master’s degree from the United States Sports Academy. Anderson was recently named assistant head coach and director of player development for the women’s basketball program at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP). He earned his Master of Sports Science degree in sports coaching with an emphasis in NCAA compliance in 2013. “Anthony has worked very hard in his career to recruit and coach his way up the ladder,” UTEP head women’s basketball coach Kevin Baker said. “He is becoming known as one of the best and brightest young coaches in the country. Anthony is a relentless recruiter and has a proven track record of signing high quality players. He will be [...]

United States Sports Academy doctoral program alumnus Dr. John Lesaine has made his mark in the classroom and on the basketball court and is now being recognized for helping others in his home state of South Carolina. Lesaine was named as one of the Top 20 Under 40 by the South Carolina Black Pages, a business directory and reference guide. The honor is given each year to 20 men and women under age 40 who have achieved personal and professional success, have a record of community service and have given back to others through their time, talents, and donations. Lesaine is the assistant dean for student success and persistence at Newberry College in Newberry, S.C. He earned his Doctor of Education degree in Sports Management from the Academy in 2015. [...]

United States Sports Academy master’s degree graduate Terlynn Olds has been named the associate athletic director of internal operations and senior woman administrator at University of Alaska Fairbanks. A native of Ruston, La., Olds earned her Master of Sports Science degree in sports coaching from the Academy in 2002. She has more than 21 years of experience in collegiate athletics, specifically in the facilitation and oversight of athletic programs, policies and initiatives. She also has experience in senior leadership positions that have served more than 1,500 student-athletes across multiple teams and NCAA divisions. Olds joined the Alaska Nanooks after serving as the deputy director of athletics and business manager at Grambling State University, an NCAA Division I program located in Grambling, Louisiana. She oversaw each of Grambling’s 15 varsity athletic [...]

United States Sports Academy alumna and national faculty member Dr. Bonnie Tiell took part in Major League Baseball’s All-Star Week as a panelist for the Women in Sports and Events (WISE) “Women’s Dugout” event in Cleveland, Ohio. The “Women’s Dugout” event was held as a gathering for women early in their sport careers and veteran women executives to meet at MLB’s All-Star Game in July in Cleveland. Tiell was part of a panel of former WISE Cleveland Women of the Year honorees. Dr. Bonnie Tiell, third from left, participates in the Women in Sports and Events (WISE) Women’s Dugout panel in Cleveland, Ohio. Tiell is a professor of sports management at Tiffin (Ohio) University. She earned her Doctor of Education degree in sports management and human resources from [...]

United States Sports Academy doctoral degree program alumnus Dr. Alan Ledford was recently named to the Clinton County (Ohio) Sports Hall of Fame. Ledford is the program director and assistant professor in the sport management department at Wilmington (Ohio) College. Ledford earned his Doctor of Education degree in sports management from the Academy in 2016. Ledford credited his Academy degree with helping him land his job at Wilmington. He said the Academy’s flexible online learning option were beneficial to him as a student. “After completing my doctoral degree, I was able to interview and earn my current job at Wilmington College,” Ledford said. “The Academy is great place for a self-starter student. The classes are enjoyable and the biggest positive is that the courses can be self-directed, meaning you can [...]