NFL Draft Preview
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In Memoriam: USA Swimming Executive Director and 2016 Academy Honorary Doctorate Recipient Chuck Wielgus
Charles “Chuck” Wielgus, Executive Director of USA Swimming, center, recently was presented the 2016 National Honorary Doctorate degree from the United States Sports Academy for his lifetime of service to the world of sport. The presentation was made at the USA Swimming headquarters in Colorado Springs, Colo., by William Hybl, President Emeritus of the United States Olympic Committee and Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the El Pomar Foundation, left, and Walter Glover, Executive Vice President of the U.S. Olympic Endowment. DAPHNE, Ala. – Chuck Wielgus, the longtime Executive Director of USA Swimming, passed away on Sunday in Colorado Springs, Colo., after suffering complications from colon cancer, which he had been battling since 2006. Wielgus was the recipient of the United States Sports Academy’s 2016 Honorary Doctorate for [...]
Academy Board of Visitors Member and Honoree Dr. Gaylon McCollough Named 2017 Distinguished Sportsman
Dr. Gaylon McCollough named 2017 Distinguished Sportsman The Alabama Sports Hall of Fame (ASHOF) Board of Directors has announced that Dr. Gaylon McCollough and Pete Derzis will be recognized as the 2017 Distinguished Sportsmen at the ASHOF 49th Induction Banquet on Saturday, 13 May 2017. McCollough, who lives in Gulf Shores, Ala., is a member of the United States Sports Academy’s Board of Visitors and was the Academy’s 2015 Theodore Roosevelt Meritorious Achievement Award winner. A renowned facial plastic surgeon, McCollough is being recognized as the 2017 Distinguished Alabama Sportsman. Previously a member of the ASHOF Board of Directors, he has been involved since the beginning with the Bryant-Jordan Student-Athlete Scholarship Program, which annually awards more than 100 scholarships to high school seniors based on athletic and scholastic achievement. [...]
Spring Sports Preview and Professional Sports Playoff Discussion
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Cincinnati Christian Basketball Coach Derek Williams Says Academy Mentorship Helped Launch College Coaching Career
Derek Williams will soon enter his second season as the head women’s basketball coach at Cincinnati Christian University, an accomplishment he attributes to his United States Sports Academy education and mentorship. Williams has risen through the ranks of basketball coaching, from his beginning as a middle school coach to leading a collegiate program. Williams earned his Bachelor of Sports Science degree in sports studies from the Academy in 2014 and a master’s degree in coaching and athletic administration from Concordia University-Irvine. “Earning my degree from the Academy has helped me tremendously,” Williams said. “I did my Academy mentorship at Cincinnati State Technical and Community College, and the mentorship helped me land an interim coaching position there. My coursework while at the Academy also helped prepare me by providing me with the background knowledge, scientific research and [...]
Academy Alumna Jennifer Saylor Named to Lead Rockford University Volleyball
United States Sports Academy alumna Jennifer Saylor, a successful volleyball coach with experience at both the high school and collegiate levels, has been named head coach of the women’s volleyball program at Rockford University in Rockford, Ill. Saylor previously spent five years as head volleyball coach at both Morton High School in Morton, Ill., and the Capital Volleyball Academy in Madison, Wisc. She also served as head volleyball coach for four years at Lake Forest College in Illinois as well as six years at Illinois College. She has also coached softball at the collegiate level. Saylor earned dual Master of Sports Science degrees in sports medicine and sports coaching from the Academy in 2001 after previously earning a bachelor’s degree in sports medicine from Heidelberg University in Tiffin, Ohio. “I [...]
United States Sports Academy Alumnus Aaron Muhic’s College Basketball Coaching Career Spans Two Countries
Aaron Muhic, who has more than 21 years of head basketball coaching experience in the United States, has taken on a new professional adventure -- coaching in Canada. The United States Sports Academy alumnus is currently rebuilding the men’s basketball program at Trinity Western University (TWU). Muhic, a Sacramento, Calif., native, earned his Master of Sports Science degree in sports coaching from the Academy in 1996. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Eastern Oregon University, where he played college basketball for four years. “The United States Sports Academy gave me practical experience, a solid education, and the opportunity to network with other professionals in my field,” Muhic said. “The Academy, being a sports-only school, helped me focus and get a job in the field that I loved. I recommend the [...]
Congratulations to our recent graduates, who hail from nine states across the country.
Congratulations to our recent graduates, who hail from nine states across the country. Doctoral Graduates Dr. Peter Joseph Vanni (Swarthmore, Pa.) – Ed.D. Sports Management, Sports Health and Fitness, Sports Leadership Emphasis, With Honors Dr. Daniela L. Benavidez (Fresno, Calif.) – Ed.D. Sports Management, Sports Health and Fitness, Sports Leadership Emphasis Master’s Graduates Jaymie L. Cox (Bremerton, Wash.) – M.S.S. Sports Management, M.S.S. Sports Coaching, With Honors Erin L. Diamond (Los Angeles, Calif.) – M.S.S. Sports Management, With Honors Jeffrey S. Harmsen (Hudsonville, Mich.) – M.S.S. Sports Studies, With Honors Nicholas M. Capretta (Los Angeles, Calif.) – M.S.S. Sports Studies Darlene E. Gordon (Wescosville, Pa.) – M.S.S. Sports Management Jonathan K. Mack (Pottstown, Pa.) – M.S.S. Sports Management Marjorie C. Robbins (Inman, S.C.) – M.S.S. Sports Management Taylor J. VanderWoude [...]