Support Staff Felecia Saine
Director of Student-Athlete Academic Support and Achievement
In her second year working with the Arkansas basketball team, Felecia Saine is no stranger to Razorback athletics as she begins her second stint at Arkansas, this time as the Director of Student-Athlete Academic Support and Achievement. Saine joins the Razorbacks after a six-plusyear stint as the Assistant to the Director of Athletics for Academics at Georgetown University where she worked with the Hoya men’s basketball team. A native of Little Rock, Ark., Saine earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration, finance from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock before receiving her Masters of Education, Sport Management from the Fayetteville campus in 1998. While earning her graduate degree, Saine worked with the Razorback football team as an academic counselor until 2002 when she took on the role of Academic Coordinator for Men’s Basketball with the Razorbacks until her departure for Georgetown in 2004. An active participant in national organizations and forums, Saine is a member of the National Association of Academic Advisors for Athletics and the Black Coaches Association.
Dave England
Head Basketball Athletic Trainer Dave England is in his 24th season as the head athletic trainer for the men’s basketball team while also working with baseball, men’s and women’s tennis, men’s golf and Razorback spirit squads. In his 29th full year and his 29th season as a member of the Arkansas athletic training staff, England has been responsible for basketball since the 1983-84 season. In 2004, he received the District 6 Athletic Trainer Service Award from the National Athletic Trainers Association. He was honored in 2000 as the Arkansas Athletic Trainers’ Association Trainer of the Year. England also worked at Arkansas as a student and graduate assistant athletic trainer. He returned to Fayetteville following a stint in the St. Louis Cardinals baseball organization. A 1980 graduate of Arkansas with a bachelor’s of science degree in education, England worked the 1976 Cotton Bowl and 1978 Orange Bowl football games as a student athletic trainer. He was a graduate assistant for Dean Weber in 1980-81
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Phil Pierce
Associate Media Relations Director Phil Pierce joined the University of Arkansas Athletic Department in the fall of 1996 and over the past 15 years has been a part of many Razorback sports and memorable moments. Currently he is the media relations contact for the men’s basketball and men’s golf teams while also overseeing the production of Razorback Game Day, Arkansas’ official men’s basketball game day program. Joining the men’s athletics department in 1996 as an intern, Pierce worked with four NCAA Championship track and field teams as well as the cross country and golf programs. Hired as an assistant communications director for women’s athletics in January of 1998, Pierce worked primarily with the women’s cross country/track and soccer programs, but also covered the media relations aspects for the swimming & diving and tennis teams at various points. Following the blending of the Arkansas athletic departments, Pierce took over the media relations responsibilities for the baseball team and assisted with football. In the fall of 2009, he moved to the men’s basketball and golf programs. During Pierce’s 15 years with the Razorbacks he has overseen the media responsibilities of four NCAA Championship track teams, 17 Southeastern Conference cross country and track titles, a College World Series run and was the media coordinator for eight NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships. In addition he helped build Arkansas men’s athletics first web site and was a part of nine years of Razorback soccer radio broadcasts. A 1996 graduate of Baldwin-Wallace (Ohio) College, Pierce received a Bachelor’s degree in sports management and business administration. While at Baldwin-Wallace he worked in the sports information office for three years and with all of the Yellow Jackets 20 varsity sports. A native of Darien, Conn., Pierce, his wife, Stephanie, and son Matthew, reside in Fayetteville.
and went with the Hogs to the 1980 Hall of Fame Bowl. He also worked with baseball during those days and went to the 1979 College World Series where the Razorbacks finished second. He then accepted an offer to work with the Cardinals. After spending some time in the lower levels of the organization, he worked his way up to the position of head trainer for the Cardinals’ Double-A team in Little Rock. He returned to Arkansas in January 1984 as an assistant and was promoted to head athletic trainer in 1989. In working with Razorback basketball, England has been to 16 NCAA tournaments and two NITs. He’s made three trips to the Final Four and worked with the 1994 NCAA champions and the 1995 national runner-up. He returned to the College World Series with the baseball Hogs in 1985, 1987 and 2004 while the 2002 club advanced to a Super Regional. While working with football he has been to the Liberty and Cotton bowls twice, and the Orange, Holiday and Hall of Fame bowls. One of the founding members of the Arkansas Athletic Trainers’ Association in 1987, England was inducted into the AATA Hall of Fame in 1999. He has two daughters, Jennifer, 28, and Alyson, 19, and a granddaughter, Ellie, nine months. He is married to the former Heather Cullum, who is the Director of Guest Services for the Athletic Department.