Download - GSUAF Soaring, Summer/Fall 2011
Soaring
Inside
Sam Baker:Building Success
Our Vision: Rings and Diplomas
Soaring to Victory
GSU Athletic Foundation Organizational Structure
For All the Right Reasons
GEORGIA SOUTHERN UNIVERSITYATHLETIC FOUNDATIONSummer/Fall 2011
Back in January 1996, when he first arrived in Statesboro as GSU’s newly-hired athletics director, Sam Baker
realized that he needed to roll up his shirtsleeves and get to work. The most glaring deficiency of the program he
inherited was facilities. The football team dressed in a cage underneath Hanner Field House. Football coaches worked out of trailers and concession stands. Position coaches held meetings in stairwells. And those were just the facility challenges facing football. Fast forward a decade-and-a-half later and every athletic facility on campus
bears the mark of Baker’s determination to give every Eagle
team the ability to compete for, and win, championships. The Parrish
Building, J. I. Clements Stadium, the Bennett-Ramsey Golf Center – these are just some of the facilities that have helped our Eagles bring back championship after championship to Statesboro. But facility upgrades are a constant and evolving process – one that is never fully complete. Future
successes rest on today’s planning. To strengthen and meet the program’s goals, the $36 million
Soaring to Victory Capital Campaign is now underway. Its goal is simple: it is time to transform the face of Georgia Southern athletics for future generations. The initial focus of the Soaring to Victory Campaign will center on creating a football operations center. This 57,000 square foot facility, built in the east end zone of Paulson Stadium, would house the locker room, weight room, Hall of Fame, sports medicine room, equipment and laundry room, and offices and meeting rooms for the football program. As designed, this facility would rival any FBS facility. But this facility would similarly aid every Eagle program, principally by freeing up the Iron Works. As the sole training and conditioning center for the department, over 1,200 bodies pass through the Iron Works on a weekly basis. Now, with football moving its conditioning programs to this new operations center, more time and space will be available for every Eagle athlete to train for championships. A sampling of other facility issues addressed include the renovation of the Parrish Center to become home to the athletic department; work on the entrance to Hanner Field House; a transformation of the current practice fields into a new lighted track/soccer stadium; and a relocation of the football practice fields to the current track/soccer facility. All these objectives and more are part of the athletic department’s vision. Great facilities and program improvements do not encompass all of the athletic department’s goals. Their quest for championships is fundamental to the program, but winning in the classroom completes
Building Success
its mission. “Our student-athletes play a sport they love and accomplish goals in competition,” Baker says, “but of greater importance to all of us is the desire for them to earn a diploma.” Hence, the department’s strategic vision of “Rings and Diplomas”: giving every Eagle student-athlete the opportunity to leave Georgia Southern with their college degree and a championship experience. With all these goals and their inherent costs, one may also ask, why, now in this economic climate, a new fundraising effort is necessary? Timing is a crucial element when making future growth plans. “There is a renewed energy within our football program,” Baker observes, “and if we can raise the required money quickly the current construction pricing would be very attractive. It is the best period ever to get more for your dollar. This project also puts people to work in this community. That’s good for everyone.” Keenly aware of the fans’ thirst for winning football championships, Baker knows that improve-ments are crucial. “In the grand scheme of things, we are in our infancy as a Division I department with football. Some schools have played football for more than a century, but we started in 1982, and we have had more success than most. Success does not just happen. It takes good facilities, good coaches and talented student-athletes.” “This is the single most important campaign ever for the program – it will set the future for the next 20 – 25 years for this university and greatly benefit future generations,” Baker adds. “People who have supported Eagle Athletics have set the tone for the university. Your support now will determine who we are in the future and is greatly appreciated.”
New ConstructionTotal: $10,225,000Bishop Academic Enhancement CenterDan J. Parrish, Sr. Football CenterTroy & Mozelle Cowart BuildingJ.I. Clements Baseball StadiumIron Works Weight Training CenterTrack & Soccer ComplexBishop Field HouseBennett-Ramsey Golf CenterHoward HouseHerring Pavilion Softball SeatingSoftball Locker Room
Facility Improvements 1997 - 2011
Below: Architects’ rendering of the proposed Football Operations Facility.
Major RenovationsTotal: $6,870,000Paulson Stadium Eagle VisionPaulson Stadium P. A. SystemJ.I. Clements Baseball Hitting CagesHanner Field House Floor and SeatingSoftball Playing FieldFootball Locker RoomSports Medicine / Athletic Training CenterEagle Club SeatingRe-Surfacing of Tennis CourtsPaulson Stadium Brick FacadeCurry Men’s Basketball Locker RoomWomen’s Basketball Locker RoomParrish Football Building Hall of FameConcourse / Concessions at Paulson StadiumFootball Practice Fields Renovation
Championships1997 - 2011
30 Southern Conference championships27 appearances in NCAA postseason playEagle Football program: •7SoContitles •9NCAAplayoffappearances (Division I FCS)
•NCAAFCStitlesin1999and2000
The vision of the Georgia Southern University Athletic Department phrased simply, but aptly, is Rings and Diplomas. We strive to provide the opportunity for a championship ring and a college diploma for each one of our promising and talented student-athletes.
Our Mission: Today’s Investments Realize Tomorrow’s Victories The Georgia Southern University Athletic Foundation is the official fund-raising
arm of GSU Athletics and is thus charged with helping to implement our vision
through financial support. The Athletic Foundation is an independent, non-profit
organization which raises money for Georgia Southern University student-athlete
scholarships and priority needs of the athletics department as approved by its
board of directors.
Our Student-Athlete Vision: Rings and DiplomasEvery student-athlete who walks onto our campus will be provided the best possible
opportunity to win a championship ring and his or her degree. The student-ath-
letes, coaches, and administration will be provided the resources necessary for suc-
cess in both. This vision is the guiding principle for the Georgia Southern Athletic
Department’s strategic plan.
Georgia Southern University Athletics Vision: Rings and Diplomas
RINGS
Goal: To win a conference or national championship in all sports at the highest possible level of competition
Strategies:
I. Hire and retain highest-caliber coaches and staff possible
• Ensure competitive salaries at or above the conference mid-point
• Create a “Margin of Excellence Endowment Fund” to provide performance-
based incentives and mechanism for salary supplements to ensure coaching
continuity
II. Recruit Nationally-Competitive Student-Athletes
• Increase recruiting budgets for all sports by 50%
• Provide opportunities for signature competitive and travel experiences
for players and coaches
• Increase availability of technology for coaches
• Hire additional recruiting staff members in many sports
III. Provide best-of-class athletic facilities for exceptional competitive
and recruiting results
• Complete Athletics Facilities Master Plan
• Develop Football Operations Center at Paulson Stadium
• Expansion of Paulson Stadium seating capacity
• Create Athletics Department Administrative Office
• Hanner Field House Renovation
• Soccer / Track Stadium Relocation and Lighting
• Development of New Football Practice Complex
• Cowart Building / Ticket Office Expansion
• Create Indoor Multi-Purpose Practice Center
• Construct Softball Batting Cage Complex
IV. Upgrade Technology Infrastructure to enhance the fan experience
• Purchase new scoreboards and PA systems for football, baseball and
basketball
• Implement E-ticketing and scanning program
• Upgrade Athletics web site and provide on-demand programming
• Create Athletics film studio and expand broadcast production ability
DIPLOMAS
Goal: To graduate 100% of our student-athletes with transferrable career and life skills
Strategies:
I. Fully fund Student-Athlete scholarships through private funding
• Double GSUAF Annual Campaign / Donor Base
- Increase / maximize auxiliary income
- Double GSUAF scholarship endowment
II. Fully staff and fund the Athletics Academic Support Center
III. Implement a Student-Athlete Laptop Program
IV. Creation of a Career / Life Skills Program with appropriate staff
and budget
Georgia Southern University Athletics Vision: Rings and Diplomas
Georgia Southern University Athletic Foundation
Total Campaign Goal: $36,625,000
“You cannot fly like an eagle with the wings of a wren.” - William Henry Hudson
Funding Priorities by Phase and Giving Category
Eagle Fund Annual Giving
$500,000•IncreaseannualEagleFundcampaigncontributionstoensurecompetitivesalariesator
above the conference mid-point Goal: $500,000
Capital Campaign$15,000,000
• Position GSU Football as our marquee program by developing a Football Operations Center at Paulson Stadium and recruit the country’s best student-athletes
Goal: $10,000,000
• Create a “Margin of Excellence Endowment Fund” to provide performance-based incentives and mechanism for salary supplements to ensure coaching continuity Goal: $5,000,000
Soaring to Victory
This edition of Soaring is devoted to highlighting our mission to fulfill the
vision and goals of Georgia Southern University Athletics and
introduce you to the Soaring to Victory Campaign.
We are faced with a tremendous generational opportunity. Not
since Erk Russell’s “dirty dozen,” the group who led the effort to put Georgia Southern
Football on the map in 1982, have we had an opportunity to impact the entire athletics
Phase I: Stabilizing the Program • Fundraising Goal: $15,500,000
program, the university, the community and the region in such a meaningful way.
We are embarking on this exciting $36 million campaign with the goal of
achieving our mission in five phases over eight years. The successful completion of the
campaign will ensure the attainment of “Rings and Diplomas” for all student-athletes
and will guide the program for the next 25 years.
Georgia Southern University Athletic Foundation
Total Campaign Goal: $36,625,000
“You cannot fly like an eagle with the wings of a wren.” - William Henry Hudson
Funding Priorities by Phase and Giving Category
Soaring to Victory
Phase I: Stabilizing the Program • Fundraising Goal: $15,500,000
Phase II: Enhancing the Student-Athlete Experience • Fundraising Goal: $2,850,00O
Capital Campaign
$1,700,000
•DoubletheAthleticFoundation’sscholarshipendowment Goal: $1,500,000
•ImplementaStudent-AthleteLaptopProgram Goal: $200,000
Phase III: Upgrading Athletic Facilities • Fundraising Goal: $7,500,000
Capital Campaign
$7,500,000•ExpansionofPaulsonStadiumseatingcapacity Goal: $2,500,000•Soccer/TrackStadiumRelocationandLighting Goal: $2,500,000•DevelopmentofNewFootballPracticeComplex Goal: $1,000,000•CreateAthleticsDepartmentAdministrativeOffice Goal: $500,000•CowartBuilding/TicketOfficeExpansion Goal: $500,000•ConstructSoftballBattingCageComplex Goal: $250,000•CreateIndoorMulti-PurposePracticeCenter Goal: $250,000
Eagle Fund Annual Giving Capital Campaign
$10,500,000•PurchasenewscoreboardsandPAsystemsforfootball,baseball and basketball Goal: $5,500,000•HannerFieldHouseRenovation Goal: $5,000,000
Eagle Fund Annual Giving Capital Campaign
$275,000•ImplementE-ticketingandscanningprogram Goal: $100,000•CreateAthleticsfilmstudioandexpandbroadcastproductionability Goal: $75,000•UpgradeAthleticsWebSiteandprovideon-demandprogramming Goal: $50,000•Increaseavailabilityoftechnologyforcoaches Goal: $50,000
Eagle Fund Annual Giving
Phase IV: Improving the Fan Experience • Fundraising Goal: $10,500,000
Phase V: Expanding the Technology Infrastructure • Fundraising Goal: $275,000
Give 110% for your Eagles!
Give 110% for your Eagles!
Give 110% for your Eagles!
Eagle Fund Annual Giving
$1,150,000
•DoubleGSUAFAnnualCampaign/DonorBase Goal: $1,000,000 - Fully fund Student-Athlete scholarships through private funding Goal: $350,000 - Fully staff and fund the Athletics Academic Support Center Goal: $250,000 - Creation of a Career / Life Skills Program with appropriate Goal: $250,000 staff and budget-Hireadditionalrecruitingstaffmembersinmanysports Goal:$150,000
•Increase/MaximizeAuxiliaryIncome Goal: $150,000 - Increase recruiting budgets for all sports by 50% Goal:$100,000 - Provide opportunities for signature competitive and travel Goal: $ 50,000 experiences
President:
John Mulherin
The President holds the execu-
tive leadership position and
oversees the governance of the
organization, leadership gift
donations, capital campaigns,
planned giving, auxiliary revenue and the executive,
management and finance committees of the board
of directors.
Eagle Fund Executive
Director:
David Beaubien
The Eagle Fund Executive Di-
rector oversees the operations
of the Eagle Fund annual
giving program and supervises
the duties and responsibilities of the Eagle Fund
Program Coordinator and the Special Projects Co-
ordinator. The position is responsible for organiza-
tional growth and communication strategies.
Donor Relations
Director: Frank Hook
The Donor Relations Direc-
tor participates in major gift
solicitations, coordination
with the Eagle Fund Delegate
Program chapter leaders, and
gift-in-kind donations.
Atlanta Regional
Office Director:
Lindsey Randolph
The Atlanta Regional Office
Director participates in major
gift solicitations and coordina-
tion with the Eagle Fund Del-
egate Program chapter leaders in the Atlanta area.
Operations Director:
Kathryn Bryant
The Operations Director over-
sees the general office opera-
tions, accounts payable, and
the coordination of student-
athlete recruitment visits.
Other duties include executive administrative
assistant responsibilities, coordination of game-day
hospitality and special events.
Donor Records Director:
Dee Parker
The Donor Records Director
is responsible for all aspects
of financial accounting, gift
processing, reporting and
acknowledgement, the multi-
payment option program and the payroll deduction
gift program.
Making Our Athletes’ Dreams Come TrueEagle Fund Program
Coordinator:
Caroline Bevillard
The Eagle Fund Program
Coordinator organizes and
oversees the operations of the
Eagle Fund Delegate Program,
the parking program, the endowment stewardship
program, and participates in game-day hospitality.
Eagle Fund Special
Projects Coordinator:
Gordon Hunter
The Eagle Fund Special
Projects Coordinator serves as
liaison with the Eagle Fund
Delegates and chapter leaders,
coordinates activities of the Eagle Football Alumni
Association, Eagle Football Parents Association, Stu-
dent Eagle Club and the Young Alumni Program.
Other duties include game-day hospitality.
Our football history and tradition
are second to none at any level
– it is clear that Georgia Southern
is established as one of college
football’s elite programs. We take great pride in
these accomplishments and strive to continue to
make our school and fans proud.
But the athletics program has facilities
and operational shortcomings that must be
addressed to continue our quest for victories on
the field and in the classroom. The Soaring to
Victory Campaign has identified these needed
improvements and additions. Addressing them will
set us apart from our competition and position us
to be an elite athletics program for years to come.
It is my job, along with my fellow coaches in
all 15 sports, to see that each one of our student-
athletes is honored with a championship ring and
a diploma from Georgia Southern University. I am
Calling All Eagles!A Message from Head Football Coach Jeff Monken
proud to be a part of a team that supports these
same goals for our young people.
Please join us as we work to ensure that
“Rings and Diplomas” is fulfilled. The Soaring to
Victory Campaign is your opportunity to help us
reach our goals.
Here’s what you can do:
• When you make your donation to the Eagle
Fund, raise the bar and give 110% for your Eagles.
• Do your personal best to bring one more new
donor to the Athletic Foundation.
• Become an Eagle Fund Delegate. Join others
in your community who seek to volunteer on
behalf of the Eagles. Call Caroline Bevillard at
912.478.5520 for more information.
Women’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year
Caroline Bevillard (pictured above), was
a senior member of the Swimming and
Diving team, had a 3.97 GPA in Sport
Management and won this award last year.
Bevillard was honored as one of 13 NCAA Post-
graduate Scholars. The four-year letterwinner
has one individual GSU record and four others
as a member of relay teams. Last spring, based on
her leadership, academic excellence and athletic
achievement, she was selected as a recipient of
the Southern Conference’s Coleman Lew Lead-
ership Award. She recently served as the president
of Georgia Southern’s Student-Athlete Advisory
Board.
Men’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year
Football’s Chris Rogers claimed the first
Scholar-Athlete of the Year honor, the first
to represent the gridiron since 2007. The
For All the Right ReasonsEagle placekicker sported a 3.76 GPA and gradu-
ated in the spring with a degree in Biology. Next fall,
Rogers will enroll at Mercer Medical School with a
full scholarship to pursue his dream of becoming a
surgeon. He was active in Georgia Southern’s com-
munity outreach program with the Boys and Girls
Club as well as the Bulloch County School System.
Rogers was a member of the Student-Athlete Advi-
sory Board.
Scholar All-America Honors
Awarded to Swimming and
Diving Team
The College Swimming Coaches Associa-
tion of America (CSCAA) announced its
Scholar All-America teams for the spring
2011 semester and the Georgia Southern Swim-
ming and Diving team has been honored for the
seventh-straight semester. The CSCAA ranks all
NCAA Division I teams twice a year, once after
each academic term, and teams with a grade point
average of 3.0 or higher are named to this distin-
guished CSCAA Scholar All-America list. With the
current Scholar All-America program in place since
2008, the Eagles have been included each and every
semester.
Eagles Earn AVCA Team Academic
Award for 2010 Season
The Georgia Southern Volleyball team
earned the American Volleyball Coaches
Association (AVCA) Team Academic
Award for the 2010 season after posting a 3.37
grade point average for the entire 2010-11 aca-
demic year.
Volleyball also led all Eagle teams with a
3.46 GPA in the spring semester and posted their
fourth-straight 3.0 or better semester. Eight mem-
bers of the 2010 SoCon Volleyball Tournament
Champions were named to the Dean’s List while
three were added to the President’s List.
Cleveland Golf/Srixon
All-America Scholars Named
The Golf Coaches Association of Amer-
ica (GCAA) announced the Cleveland
Golf/Srixon All America Scholars. Logan
Blondell (below right) and Matt Deal (above) rep-
resented Georgia Southern on the 2011 edition of
the list, two of the 138 total Division I players to
earn the honor. Blondell and Deal, both named All-
America Scholars in 2010, helped lead the Eagles to
their third-straight NCAA Regional appearance.
To be eligible for Cleveland Golf/Srixon All-
America Scholar status an individual must be
a junior or senior academically, compete in
at least two full years at the collegiate level,
participate in 70-percent of his team’s com-
petitive rounds or compete in the NCAA
Championships, have a stroke-average under
76.0 in Division I and maintain a minimum
cumulative grade-point average of 3.2. A
recipient must also be of high moral charac-
ter and be in good standing at his college or
university.
Georgia Southern Athletics
Scholar-Athletes of 2010-2011
Welcome to the sixth edition of the Georgia Southern University Athletic Foundation’s quarterly newsletter, Soaring. As an organiza-tion, we are committed to bringing you the original content, feature articles and sports highlights that keep you connected with our program.
Support Georgia Southern University student-athletes who are seeking to rise to new personal heights by advancing their lives through sports and education while earning their “Rings and Diplo-mas.” Call 1.912.478.5520 or visit www.ringsanddiplomas.com to find out how you can help.
SoaringStudent-Athletes Earn Spots On Academic All-Conference Team
Georgia Southern carded 22 honorees on the Southern Conference 2011 Academic All-Confer-
ence Spring Season team which included a spring season record of 326 student-athletes. All
of the league’s 12 member institutions were represented on the team which honors the best
student-athletes in the league.
Name Sport Eric Phillips Baseball
Victor Roache Baseball
Colin Snow Baseball
Logan Blondell Men’s Golf
Matthew Deal Men’s Golf
Sebastien Felt Men’s Tennis
Juan Puigventos Melian Men’s Tennis
Mark Paetz Men’s Tennis
Mathijs Verdam Men’s Tennis
Kelly Burnett Softball
Bethany Crenshaw Softball
John [email protected]
David BeaubienExecutive Director of the Eagle Fund [email protected]
Frank HookDirector of Donor [email protected]
Lindsey RandolphAtlanta Regional AthleticsDevelopment [email protected]
Kathryn BryantOperations [email protected]
Dee ParkerDonor Records [email protected]
GEORGIA SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC FOUNDATION, INC.
P.O. BOX 8115-01
STATESBORO, GEORGIA 30460-8115
1-912-478-5520
www.ringsanddiplomas.com
Name SportHanna Ennis Softball
Andrea Tarashuk Softball
Jorie Walker Softball
Mackenzie Williams Softball
Sara Curry Track & Field
Morgan Jefferson Track & Field
Kassi Lee Track & Field
Brittani Martin Track & Field
Ali Beavers Women’s Tennis
Alessandra Dzuba Women’s Tennis
Natalie Maffett Women’s Ten-
nis
On the cover:Eagle Brandavious Mann excels on the football field as well as in the community. As president of the Student-Athlete Advisory Board (SAAB), he and his fellow student-ath-letes on the board exercise their philanthropic skills by organizing community service efforts as part of their board duties. Cover photo of Brandavious Mann by Scott Bryant.
Caroline BevillardEagle Fund Program [email protected]
Gordon HunterEagle Fund SpecialProjects [email protected]
John RamfjordAthletics Ticket [email protected]
Writer/Editor: Bonnie Jaeger
Graphic Design: Hilde Keldermans
Photography: Suzanne Oliver Frank Fortune
For All the Right Reasons