Columbia College will immediately begin accepting applications for its next Athletics Director (AD).  The AD reports directly to the College President and is responsible for the administration, oversight, and management of all intercollegiate athletic programs at the College.  Columbia College has a long and successful history in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), supported by an annual operating budget of over $3 million and 40 employees. The AD will have no coaching duties.

The College currently offers women’s volleyball, men’s and women’s soccer, men’s and women’s cross country, men’s and women’s basketball, baseball, softball, men’s and women’s golf, men’s lacrosse, men’s and women’s indoor and outdoor track and field, and women’s bowling.  Columbia College has won four NAIA team Championships and two individual NAIA Championships.  As a member of the NAIA's American Midwest Conference (AMC), last year we won 15 of a possible 24 Conference Championships.  With a ten-year winning percentage for all sports of 72% (1511-556-34), the College is perennially regarded as a top competitor both in its conference and in the NAIA.

We were also one of the first institutions to offer scholarships for eSports; last year we were national runner-up in the League of Legends finals (losing to UC-Irvine; we're coming for them).  ESPN currently ranks our eSports team #3 in the country.

All that said, this is a time of significant analysis and reflection for our athletic program. We must strike the right balance between success on the court and success in admissions, including net tuition revenue. Our next AD will embrace that reality, leading the charge when change is warranted.  All options are on the table; we need an AD who gets excited about that.

Specific duties and responsibilities include:

• Provide strategic and visionary leadership to all athletic department personnel (coaches, trainers, and staff)
• Create and oversee an organizational structure for the department that ensures administrative and operational effectiveness, fiscal responsibility, and compliance
• Develop a strategic plan for the athletic department that supports and aligns with the mission and vision of the College
• Foster an environment that supports diversity, equity, and inclusion as core principles
• Ensure compliance with all NAIA, Title IX, and institutional policies, as well as other external rules and regulations
• Collaborate with athletics staff to promote academic success, retention, and graduation for all student athletes
• Serve as the face of athletics fundraising, and support the College Development staff in fundraising activities by cultivating increased alumni engagement
• In this context, win as much as possible