MARSHALL, Texas – Expansion and excitement continue in the East Texas Baptist University athletic department as they announce changes in administration. After adding several club sports for the upcoming year and the success of the ETBU athletic teams in 2015-16, ETBU will be adding two new positions in the Vice President of Athletics and Director of Compliance while shifting responsibilities in other administrative roles.
Stepping into the role of Vice President for Athletics is Ryan Erwin coming to ETBU from NCAA Division II Rogers State University. Larry Northcutt has been hired as the new Director of Compliance and will hold the role as ETBU's Director of Security, Compliance, and Accountability. In new administrative roles, Kent Reeves will be the Senior Associate Athletic Director and Adam P. Ledyard moves to Assistant Athletic Director for Communications.
"With some 400 student-athletes, the percentage of student body in athletics and club sports, the limited size of our athletic administration, and the scrutiny and accountability of college athletics today, I believe the Lord has directed me to create a senior-level vice president's position to provide visionary leadership and executive administration for Tiger Athletics. The Lord has impressed on my heart to move in this direction for the future of not only Tiger Athletics, but for the future progress of ETBU. God has called Ryan Erwin to serve as our Vice President for Athletics and Director of Athletics. Vice President Erwin comes to ETBU from Roger State University in Claremore, Oklahoma, where he has served as the Director of Athletics for the past three years. Prior to his service at RSU, Mr. Erwin served as Director of Athletics at Dallas Baptist University for seven years," says ETBU President Dr. J. Blair Blackburn
Erwin's experience in athletic leadership as a Director of Athletics at two NCAA Division II programs will strengthen ETBU's athletic department. From his time at Rogers State University and Dallas Baptist University, Erwin has set higher standards in each position improving and increasing academic performance, athletic success, fund-raising, student engagement, community service, and branding. He has worked with national companies for collegiate licensing and corporate sponsorships. His most recent accomplishment was guiding Rogers State through their approval process to NCAA Division II from NAIA. He also secured a licensing agreement to protect the Rogers State athletic brand and launched an online athletic store selling their products.
"I am extremely thankful to ETBU President Dr. J. Blair Blackburn for this new opportunity to serve alongside him once again and become a member of the ETBU campus community," says new Vice President for Athletics Ryan Erwin. "I look forward to joining the ETBU family and returning to the state of Texas and working with the administration, faculty, coaches and student-athletes to further develop and expand the Tiger athletic department."
With 13 years of collegiate experience in administration from sports information, compliance and director of athletics, Erwin has been able to help mold and shape two departments along with being a part of numerous committees. While at Rogers State, he participated on the Budget Advisory Committee, search committees, and the University Strategic Planning committee. He then led the Heartland Conference as the chair of athletic director, was a member of the NCAA Division II Athletic Directors Association Board of Directors, and helped the NCAA Division II Mentoring Program.
Being a part of the Claremore, Okla., community, Erwin invested in the people and town around him. He spent on the Threat Review and Assessment Committee (TARC), Rogers County Trust Authority, and the Rogers County Friends of Scouts and Children's Advocacy Center.
Starting his athletic leadership career at Dallas Baptist University, Erwin spent 10 years as a Patriot working in several capacities. He worked his way up to Director of Athletics after starting as the Director of Sports Information and then Compliance Director. In 2006, he moved into the role as the Director of Athletics serving there for seven years. In that time, Dallas Baptist played in the NCAA Division II post season in regional and national appearances by several teams for the first time. He was an integral part of the strategic planning and fundraising efforts in that time to help improve athletic facilities including the building of Horner Ballpark ($9 million baseball facility), $1.5 million renovation of Burg Gymnasium, construction of new athletic and intramural fields, expansion of athletic training and player development facilities, and remodeling of team locker and meeting room areas. He also oversaw the development of six club sports. Erwin also coached the DBU hockey team and was instrumental in the implementation of a comprehensive discipleship based ministry program and a global sports mission program.
Erwin's career has also had a major impact on academics and community service at both universities. His emphasis on bettering the student-athlete brought the overall grade point average up for both departments at Rogers State and Dallas Baptist. His departments also volunteered in their local communities building better relationships. This past year at Rogers State, the student-athletes volunteered more than 5,000 hours in the community in 46 different schools, organizations or businesses.
"I am excited to increase our presence in the community, ensure academic excellence, fundraise to support Christ-centered athletics, and disciple student-athletes and coaches in a Christian environment," says Erwin.
Erwin will start his responsibilities at ETBU on August 15th as the first Vice President for Athletics. He will be bring his wife, Kristy, of 13 years, and their two children, Gage (6) and Gentry (4), to Marshall. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in Broadcast Communication from DBU with a minor in Biblical Studies. He also has a Master of Education in Higher Education in Administration. He served as adjunct faculty at DBU, teaching Sports Ethics, Varsity Athletics Administration, Kinesiology activity courses, and Foundations for Excellence (for freshmen students).
With the addition of the Vice President for Athletics, administrative roles have also been shifted within the athletic department. Reeves, who has been a part of ETBU athletics for almost 30 years, moves into a new role as the Senior Associate Athletic Director. He has coached both women's basketball and softball and still has the most wins for a coach in women's basketball. In the past 18 years his leadership has been a part of growing the athletic department with the addition of new sports and improving the facilities.
Dr. Blackburn says, "We are grateful for Coach Reeves' athletic administrative leadership and major coaching contributions in guiding Tiger Athletics to this pinnacle of the program. We have arrived at this point in our program for needed growth and greater support, because of the strides that Kent has made over the years. Kent will continue to serve in athletic administration under the leadership of the Vice President for Athletics."
ETBU will now also have their first full-time Director of Compliance in Northcutt. He will serve at ETBU in three different capacities as the Director of Security, Compliance, and Accountability. He has served as an Assistant Athletic Director and compliance officer for 10 years at Dallas Baptist and for 11 years as the Sports Information and Marketing Director for the NCAA Division II Heartland Conference. Prior to coming to ETBU, he served as a fireman and EMT-Paramedic with the Dallas Fire and Rescue.
Being promoted from Director of Sports Information to the Assistant Athletic Director for Communications is Ledyard. He is entering his fifth year at ETBU and has improved the marketing, branding, sponsorships, social media, and public relations in his time. The ETBU athletic brand has improved in the Marshall community the past four years with sponsorships and marketing with businesses and organizations. ETBU is also fifth in NCAA Division III in social media out of over 450 programs.
"Coach Reeves and our coaching staff have made some good strides in forging a Christ-centered athletic department, yet even greater steps are needed to deepen our fully faith-integrated athletic program and to reach higher levels for program quality, team success, and spiritual significance. We are striving to construct a discipleship-based program with dedication and faithfulness to the Lord and His Kingdom purposes for student athletes. To achieve this end, we are compelled to institute strategic program initiatives and enhance our leadership that enables us to become an even stronger NCAA Division III athletic department. We welcome Ryan Erwin to join us in fulfilling this vision," says Blackburn.
ETBU currently has 14 NCAA Division III sports and six club recently adding bass fishing, ice hockey, and rugby.
