| Keith Gill named director of athletics and recreation BY MIKE UNGER 
Photo by Jeff Watts
Keith Gill, a former Duke University running back who went on to a career in athletic administration at the NCAA and most recently at the University of Oklahoma, was introduced Thursday as AU’s new director of Athletics and Recreation. Addressing a collection of coaches, student-athletes, and others in the university community, Gill said he hopes to use Athletics and Recreation to improve campus life at AU “across the board.” “One of the things that attracted me to American University is the challenge it puts on its student-athletes,” he said. “Ninety-five percent of all students who exhaust their eligibility graduate —I think that number is phenomenal. I believe that athletics is really just an extension of education. It’s important to remember that everything we do is trying to help students grow.” Gill first became familiar with AU during his second stint at the NCAA, where he served as director of membership services from 2000 to 2004. Prior to that he worked as an assistant athletic director at Vanderbilt University. “Although they’re all different schools, the balance of athletics and academics here [at AU] is similar to my experiences at Duke and Vanderbilt,” he said. “I want to develop a collective wisdom here we all can embrace.” Gill was chosen to replace Joni Comstock, who left in September to become vice president for championships at the NCAA, following a national search conducted by a committee of university faculty, administrators, coaches, and
student-athletes. “I consider this announcement crucial not just to the success of intercollegiate athletics, club sports, and the fitness program, but for the overall mission of American University,” Interim President Neil Kerwin said. “In Keith we have an individual who has all the qualities we were looking for.” Women’s basketball coach Melissa McFerrin served on the search committee. “I think Keith embodies exactly what American University stands for,” she said. “He is fully committed to the success of student-athletes.” Gill comes to Washington from the University of Oklahoma in Norman, where as a senior associate athletics director he was responsible for overseeing the men’s basketball, baseball, and women’s soccer programs. He supervised the personnel, budgets, facilities, fund raising, and the selection and evaluation of coaches for those sports. As director of membership services at the NCAA in Indianapolis, Gill developed and communicated policies relating to Division I athletics, including governance, rules compliance, diversity, gender equity, academic integrity, and sportsmanship. He oversaw a staff of 35 who provided guidance to institutions conducting self-studies. From 1995 to 1999, Gill worked at the NCAA as a membership services representative. Although his first day of work at AU isn’t until June 1, Gill and his fiancée, Tiffany, are looking forward to getting settled in their new hometown. “I’ve lived in the Midwest for a long time, so it will be an adjustment, but I’m jazzed to be here,” he said. “Every time I fly into Washington I’m like a kid, looking at all the monuments. I can’t wait to take advantage of my time here.” |
