Soaring GEORGIA SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC FOUNDATION Summer/Fall 2011
Inside Sam Baker: Building Success Our Vision: Rings and Diplomas Soaring to Victory GSU Athletic Foundation Organizational Structure For All the Right Reasons
Building Success
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ack 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 decadeand-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
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 improvements 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.”
Facility Improvements
Championships
New Construction Total: $10,225,000
Major Renovations Total: $6,870,000
30 Southern Conference championships
Bishop Academic Enhancement Center Dan J. Parrish, Sr. Football Center Troy & Mozelle Cowart Building J.I. Clements Baseball Stadium Iron Works Weight Training Center Track & Soccer Complex Bishop Field House Bennett-Ramsey Golf Center Howard House Herring Pavilion Softball Seating Softball Locker Room
Paulson Stadium Eagle Vision Paulson Stadium P. A. System J.I. Clements Baseball Hitting Cages Hanner Field House Floor and Seating Softball Playing Field Football Locker Room Sports Medicine / Athletic Training Center Eagle Club Seating Re-Surfacing of Tennis Courts Paulson Stadium Brick Facade Curry Men’s Basketball Locker Room Women’s Basketball Locker Room Parrish Football Building Hall of Fame Concourse / Concessions at Paulson Stadium Football Practice Fields Renovation
1997 - 2011
Below: Architects’ rendering of the proposed Football Operations Facility.
1997 - 2011
27 appearances in NCAA postseason play Eagle Football program: • 7 SoCon titles • 9 NCAA playoff appearances (Division I FCS)
• NCAA FCS titles in 1999 and 2000
Georgia Southern University Athletics Vision: Rings and Diplomas 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 Diplomas Every 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-athletes, coaches, and administration will be provided the resources necessary for success in both. This vision is the guiding principle for the Georgia Southern Athletic Department’s strategic plan.
DIPLOMAS
RINGS Goal: To win a conference or national championship in all sports at the highest possible level of competition
Goal: To graduate 100% of our student-athletes with transferrable career and life skills
Strategies:
Strategies:
I.
Hire and retain highest-caliber coaches and staff possible
I.
Fully fund Student-Athlete scholarships through private funding
• Ensure competitive salaries at or above the conference mid-point • Create a “Margin of Excellence Endowment Fund” to provide performancebased incentives and mechanism for salary supplements to ensure coaching continuity
• Double GSUAF Annual Campaign / Donor Base - Increase / maximize auxiliary income - Double GSUAF scholarship endowment
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
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
Soaring to Victory 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
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his 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
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.
Funding Priorities by Phase and Giving Category Phase I: Stabilizing the Program • Fundraising Goal: $15,500,000 Eagle Fund Annual Giving $500,000
Capital Campaign $15,000,000
• Increase annual Eagle Fund campaign contributions to ensure competitive salaries at or above the conference mid-point
Goal:
$500,000
• 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
Phase II: Enhancing the Student-Athlete Experience • Fundraising Goal: $2,850,00O Eagle Fund Annual Giving $1,150,000 • Double GSUAF Annual Campaign / Donor Base
Capital Campaign $1,700,000 Goal: $1,000,000
- Fully fund Student-Athlete scholarships through private funding - Fully staff and fund the Athletics Academic Support Center - Creation of a Career / Life Skills Program with appropriate staff and budget - Hire additional recruiting staff members in many sports
• Increase / Maximize Auxiliary Income - Increase recruiting budgets for all sports by 50% - Provide opportunities for signature competitive and travel experiences
Goal:
Goal: $350,000 Goal: $250,000 Goal: $250,000
• Double the Athletic Foundation’s scholarship endowment
Goal: $1,500,000
• Implement a Student-Athlete Laptop Program
Goal:
$200,000
Goal: $150,000
$150,000 Goal: $100,000 Goal: $ 50,000
Phase III: Upgrading Athletic Facilities • Fundraising Goal: $7,500,000 Eagle Fund Annual Giving
Give 110% for your Eagles!
Capital Campaign $7,500,000 • Expansion of Paulson Stadium seating capacity • Soccer / Track Stadium Relocation and Lighting • Development of New Football Practice Complex • Create Athletics Department Administrative Office • Cowart Building / Ticket Office Expansion • Construct Softball Batting Cage Complex • Create Indoor Multi-Purpose Practice Center
Goal: $2,500,000 Goal: $2,500,000 Goal: $1,000,000 Goal: $500,000 Goal: $500,000 Goal: $250,000 Goal: $250,000
Phase IV: Improving the Fan Experience • Fundraising Goal: $10,500,000 Eagle Fund Annual Giving
Give 110% for your Eagles!
Capital Campaign $10,500,000 • Purchase new scoreboards and PA systems for football, baseball and basketball • Hanner Field House Renovation
Goal: $5,500,000 Goal: $5,000,000
Phase V: Expanding the Technology Infrastructure • Fundraising Goal: $275,000 Eagle Fund Annual Giving
Give 110% for your Eagles!
Capital Campaign $275,000 • Implement E-ticketing and scanning program
• Create Athletics film studio and expand broadcast production ability • Upgrade Athletics Web Site and provide on-demand programming • Increase availability of technology for coaches
Goal: Goal: Goal: Goal:
$100,000 $75,000 $50,000 $50,000
Making Our Athletes’ Dreams Come True President:
Atlanta Regional
Eagle Fund Program
John Mulherin
Office Director:
Coordinator:
johnmul@georgiasouthern.edu
Lindsey Randolph
Caroline Bevillard
lrandolph@georgiasouthern.edu
cbevillard@georgiasouthern.edu
The President holds the executive 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 dbeaubien@georgiasouthern.edu
The Eagle Fund Executive Director 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 Coordinator. The position is responsible for organizational growth and communication strategies.
The Atlanta Regional Office Director participates in major gift solicitations and coordination with the Eagle Fund Delegate Program chapter leaders in the Atlanta area. Operations Director: Kathryn Bryant kathrynbryant@georgiasouthern.edu
The Operations Director oversees the general office operations, accounts payable, and the coordination of studentathlete recruitment visits. Other duties include executive administrative assistant responsibilities, coordination of game-day hospitality and special events. Donor Records Director: Dee Parker dparker@georgiasouthern.edu
Donor Relations Director: Frank Hook fhook@georgiasouthern.edu
The Donor Relations Director participates in major gift solicitations, coordination with the Eagle Fund Delegate Program chapter leaders, and gift-in-kind donations.
The Donor Records Director is responsible for all aspects of financial accounting, gift processing, reporting and acknowledgement, the multipayment option program and the payroll deduction gift program.
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 ghunter@georgiasouthern.edu
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, Student Eagle Club and the Young Alumni Program. Other duties include game-day hospitality.
Calling All Eagles! A Message from Head Football Coach Jeff Monken
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ur 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 studentathletes is honored with a championship ring and a diploma from Georgia Southern University. I am
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.
For All the Right Reasons Georgia Southern Athletics Scholar-Athletes of 2010-2011
Eagle placekicker sported a 3.76 GPA and graduated 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 community outreach program with the Boys and Girls Club as well as the Bulloch County School System. Rogers was a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Board.
Scholar All-America Honors Awarded to Swimming and Diving Team
Women’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year aroline 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 Postgraduate 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 Leadership Award. She recently served as the president of Georgia Southern’s Student-Athlete Advisory Board.
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Men’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year ootball’s Chris Rogers claimed the first Scholar-Athlete of the Year honor, the first to represent the gridiron since 2007. The
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he College Swimming Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) announced its Scholar All-America teams for the spring 2011 semester and the Georgia Southern Swimming 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 distinguished 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
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he 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 academic 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 members 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
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he Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA) announced the Cleveland Golf/Srixon All America Scholars. Logan Blondell (below right) and Matt Deal (above) represented 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 AllAmerica Scholars in 2010, helped lead the Eagles to their third-straight NCAA Regional appearance. To be eligible for Cleveland Golf/Srixon AllAmerica 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 competitive 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 character and be in good standing at his college or university.
Soaring Student-Athletes Earn Spots On Academic All-Conference Team
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eorgia Southern carded 22 honorees on the Southern Conference 2011 Academic All-Conference 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 Name Sport Eric Phillips
Baseball
Hanna Ennis
Softball
Victor Roache
Baseball
Andrea Tarashuk
Softball
Colin Snow
Baseball
Jorie Walker
Softball
Logan Blondell
Men’s Golf
Mackenzie Williams
Softball
Matthew Deal
Men’s Golf
Sara Curry
Track & Field
Sebastien Felt
Men’s Tennis
Morgan Jefferson
Track & Field
Juan Puigventos Melian
Men’s Tennis
Kassi Lee
Track & Field
Mark Paetz
Men’s Tennis
Brittani Martin
Track & Field
Mathijs Verdam
Men’s Tennis
Ali Beavers
Women’s Tennis
Kelly Burnett
Softball
Alessandra Dzuba
Women’s Tennis
Bethany Crenshaw
Softball
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-athletes 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. GEORGIA SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC FOUNDATION, INC. P.O. BOX 8115-01 STATESBORO, GEORGIA 30460-8115 1-912-478-5520 www.ringsanddiplomas.com
Welcome to the sixth edition of the Georgia Southern University Athletic Foundation’s quarterly newsletter, Soaring. As an organization, 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 Diplomas.” Call 1.912.478.5520 or visit www.ringsanddiplomas.com to find out how you can help. John Mulherin President johnmul@ georgiasouthern.edu
Caroline Bevillard Eagle Fund Program Coordinator cbevillard@ georgiasouthern.edu
David Beaubien Executive Director of the Eagle Fund dbeaubien@ georgiasouthern.edu
Gordon Hunter Eagle Fund Special Projects Coordinator ghunter@ georgiasouthern.edu
Frank Hook Director of Donor Relations fhook@ georgiasouthern.edu Lindsey Randolph Atlanta Regional Athletics Development Director lrandolph@ georgiasouthern.edu Kathryn Bryant Operations Director kathrynbryant@ georgiasouthern.edu Dee Parker Donor Records Director dparker@ georgiasouthern.edu
John Ramfjord Athletics Ticket Manager jramfjord@ georgiagouthern.edu Writer/Editor: Bonnie Jaeger Graphic Design: Hilde Keldermans Photography: Suzanne Oliver Frank Fortune