SUPPORT STAFF
ROBERTA BALLIET
Administrative Coordinator, Olympic Sports Roberta Balliet, a native of Muncy, Pa., is in her 16th year at Clemson. She serves as administrative coordinator for Olympic sports, coordinates the Tiger Bat Girls and is the housing coordinator for the athletic department. Balliet served as an assistant in the athletic department at Muncy High School, where she was head coach of the cheerleaders for many years. Her squads won numerous awards, locally, regionally, state-wide and nationally. She also served as game manager for women’s basketball and scorekeeper for men’s basketball. Balliet owned and operated a bed & breakfast for several years. She served as president of the Muncy Area Chamber of Commerce and was a member of the board of directors of the Lycoming County Chamber of Commerce and the Muncy Business Association. Balliet graduated from Muncy High School, where she was a cheerleader and member of the swim team. After graduation, she studied in Sweden, where she graduated from Kunghogskolan with a degree in humanistics. She is a widow and mother of two sons, Andy (Clemson ‘98 (deceased)) and Keith, and a daughter-in-law, Corina. Balliet is a grandmother of two, Luke (15) and Ava (12).
TRAVIS JOHNSTON
Assistant Athletic Trainer Travis Johnston is in his ninth year as an assistant athletic trainer working with the Clemson baseball program. Johnston returned to Tigertown in July 2008 after a three-year stint at Auburn as an assistant athletic trainer. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Clemson in parks, recreation, & tourism management in 2001. While with the Clemson program, he worked as a student assistant in the athletic training room from 199902. Johnston worked as a graduate assistant at Auburn from 2003-05 and earned a master’s degree in administration of higher education. Johnston earned his certification as an athletic trainer in 2003. He is also a member of the National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA) as well as the South Carolina Athletic Trainers’ Association. Furthermore, after obtaining his certificate in dry needling under the guidelines of Dr. Yun-tao Ma’s Systemic Dry Needling for Sport Performance, Johnston actively practices this Integrative Dry Needling, Orthopedic therapy approach.
RICK FRANZBLAU
Director of Olympic Sports Strength & Conditioning Rick Franzblau is in his second year as director of Olympic sports strength & conditioning and third with baseball. The previous five years, he served as an assistant director of Olympic strength & conditioning. He is responsible for the supervision of other fulltime strength & conditioning coaches, graduate assistants and volunteer interns. As an assistant, he was directly responsible for baseball, track & field, cross country, men’s & women’s golf, men’s tennis and women’s diving programs. He also worked as a graduate assistant at Clemson with football and Olympic sports. At Clemson, Franzblau has worked with 10 ACC championship track & field squads. He has also worked with eight individual NCAA champions and seven track & field Olympians. In 2013, he worked with Brianna Rollins, the American recordholder in 100m hurdles. Franzblau graduated in 2006 with a degree in history from Colgate, where he spent three years as a student assistant strength coach after his football career was cut short due to injuries. He is a certified strength & conditioning specialist through the NSCA and holds the SCCC certification through the CSCCA organization.
LINDSEY RICKETTS
Associate Director of Athletic Academic Services Lindsey Ricketts is in her sixth season as the athletic academic advisor for the baseball team. She also serves as the advisor for the men’s soccer & volleyball squads. Ricketts is a member of the National Association of Academic Advising for Athletics (N4A) and received her individual certification in 2011. The Pendleton, S.C., native is no stranger to the Clemson baseball program, as she served as a Tiger bat girl during the 2001-06 seasons while a student at Clemson. Prior to advising, she worked at athletic academic services as an administrative assistant, where she coordinated the class attendance program and handled textbooks/supplies for scholarship student-athletes. In 2004, Ricketts earned a bachelor of science degree in marketing, with an emphasis in sports, from Clemson. In 2006, she went on to receive a master’s degree in human resource development, with a specialty in educational counseling, from Clemson. Ricketts’ father, Robert, was a long-standing administrator and associate athletic director in the Clemson athletic department as well.
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BRIAN HENNESSY
Senior Associate Director of Athletic Communications Brian Hennessy is in his 16th year at Clemson and serves as a senior associate director of athletic communications. The Clemson, S.C., native also worked as a student and graduate assistant in the athletic communications office for six years (1995-00). He is responsible for all operations for baseball and is a secondary contact for football. He serves as coordinator of publications, including editor of Orange The Experience magazine and IPTAY’s weekly newsletter. He has written and edited the baseball guide (1998-00,03-17) and football guide (2002-14). He has received numerous CoSIDA honors for his baseball guides, including a No. 4 national ranking in 2000, No. 2 in 2005, 2015 and 2016 and No. 1 in 2014. Hennessy, who also has been responsible for layout and editing of the football gameday programs since 2002, ranked No. 2 in the nation for the 2008, 2012 and 2013 program series and No. 1 in 2015. He also coordinates the department’s photography, including managing the photographers and digital photo library. He graduated from Clemson in 1998 and later received a master’s degree.
MIKE WILSON
Director of Equipment, Olympic Sports Mike Wilson is in his 12th year with the Clemson equipment room, seventh year working with Clemson baseball and fourth year as director of Olympic sports equipment. Better known as “House,” Wilson served as a graduate assistant equipment manager for football at Clemson (2002-04) and student equipment manager for football at Clemson (1999-02). Wilson is a 2002 and 2004 graduate of Clemson, as he earned his undergraduate degree in sociology and his master’s degree in human resource development. He is a certified equipment manager and member of the Athletic Equipment Managers Association. He is married to the former Meredith Fant of Union, S.C.
2017 MEDIA GUIDE
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