Two key Albany State University stars academically ineligible

Albany, GA - At Wednesday’s SIAC Kick-Off Luncheon, (Coach Mike) White announced that last year’s anchor on the offensive line and team captain Mike Mavromichalis, along with fellow offensive lineman Norris Byrd, were both ruled academically ineligible for the upcoming season.

Both were named to the All-SIAC Preseason First Team Offense before final grades were released, and White said it was a big disappointment to see the seniors miss out on their final collegiate football season.

“It’s tough anytime you lose guys with three years experience on the line,” White said. “Both of them are seniors and good kids and just didn’t do what they were supposed to do in the classroom. Our team and staff understand where we are at, and our team and staff will have to step up and do the best they can. There is no way you can put guys in there who are going to be Mike or Norris. It’s just not going to happen. We are going to just deal with what we’ve got.”


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Paine College selects school's first full-time Athletic Director

Augusta, GA - When he was contacted six weeks ago for the open athletic director position, Tim Duncan liked what he saw. Paine College President George C. Bradley's 25-year master plan appealed to Duncan, especially the strategic plan for athletics.

Paine named Duncan, the former UNC-Wilmington associate athletic director and director of major gifts, as its new athletic director at a Friday morning news conference at the Yerby House. "We want Paine to be the class of the SIAC," Duncan said of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. "I want to win. I know that takes time and resources. It's my job to provide the resources."

Duncan will become the school's first full-time athletic director. He will start May 9 with a 90-day plan that includes reviewing personnel and policies, as well as coming up with ways to build new revenue streams.

Lions Athletics Director Tim Duncan
(B.B.A.. Memphis '92, M.S. Sports Admin. Grambling State '97)
Courtesy: UNCWSports.com

Duncan Accepts A.D. Post at Paine 

WILMINGTON, N.C. - Tim Duncan, who headed up UNCW's Seahawk Club for two years before taking over the athletic department's major gifts program in February, has been named Director of Athletics at Paine College.

Duncan was introduced during a press conference on Friday at the Augusta, Ga., institution. Paine is an NCAA Division II member that competes in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC). The Lions sponsor 10 sports in men and women's basketball, men's and women's track and field, men's and women's cross country, men's golf, baseball, softball, and women's volleyball

"My family and I have enjoyed our two years at UNCW," said Duncan. "The Wilmington community holds a very dear place in our hearts and it was going to take a very special opportunity for us to leave the Seahawk family.

"The chance to work with Paine College president Dr. (George C.) Bradley, a former college student-athlete, and become the first non-coach athletic director was a unique enough combination to intrigue Lisa and I to take advantage of this opportunity.

"I would like to thank former Director of Athletics Kelly Mehrtens for hiring me and introducing me to the Wilmington community. I would also like to thank Chancellor Rosemary DePaolo, Max Allen and Jimmy Bass for supporting me during this process. Finally, I want to thank the faculty/staff, the Seahawk Club Board of Directors and all of the Seahawk fans who have been extremely kind to my family and me. We plan to continue to visit Wilmington for family vacations in the years to come."

Duncan began his association with the program in the spring of 2009 as Associate Athletic Director for Development and Executive Director of the UNCW Student Aid Association (Seahawk Club) and was appointed Associate A.D. for Major Gifts in February.

In his position with the Seahawk Club, Duncan increased unrestricted giving by 20 percent and oversaw the development of "Dancing with the Wilmington Stars," the largest athletics fundraiser in the program's history.

"I've only worked with Tim for a short time, but he's been very helpful in my transition here at UNCW," said Bass. "Tim has prepared himself well for this new challenge and we certainly wish Tim, Lisa, and their family the very best in this next stage of his career."

Duncan previously served as Director of the M Club at the University of Memphis, where he helped the Tigers increase their revenue by 35 percent and membership by 40 percent over his first year. He also solicited major gifts from donors and former student-athletes, including the largest single gift ($1 million) for naming rights to the school's Athletic Hall of Fame.

In addition, he spearheaded the strategic planning, direction and management for the school's former letter winners. He was an integral part of UM's annual athletic fundraising and major gifts programs.

Prior to his appointment at Memphis, Duncan was a managing partner in PRStore, a marketing firm in Memphis. He developed strategies for small business owners and managed store operations and personnel.

The Memphis native began his career path as a public relations coordinator for Russell Corporation in Midland, Ga., in 1996. He assisted in managing sponsorships for the National Football League, Major League Baseball and the NCAA, and coordinated various other promotional programs for two years.

From 1998-2003, Duncan worked as an assistant marketing manager and marketing manager at R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company in Winston-Salem, N.C. He assisted in managing the execution of a $70 million event marketing program initially and later managed the start-up of a $13 million program for one of the company's brands. He also coordinated 51 high-profile events for R.J. Reynolds, including NASCAR Winston Cup and NHRA Drag Racing.

In 2003, Duncan founded Infrared Marketing, LLC, to develop strategies for Fortune 500 companies who wanted to accomplish their marketing objectives.

Duncan is a member of the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), the National Association of Athletic Development Directors (NAADD) and the National Letterwinners Association (NLWA).

He earned his Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing at Memphis in 1992 and completed his Master of Science Degree in Sports Administration at Grambling State in 1997.

Duncan played four years on the Memphis men's basketball team and helped the Tigers and former coach Larry Finch reach the NCAA's Elite Eight during his senior year in 1992.

Courtesy: UNCWSports.com

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SIAC signs five-year contract with Crons

The Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) has signed a five-year agreement with The Crons Brand™, making it the official uniform and apparel provider for the conference and its member schools.

Crons will be the exclusive provider of SIAC Championship apparel and gear for all student-athletes and conference championships. The company will outfit teams in conference-sponsored sports with game uniforms, practice and workout gear, and travel apparel.

The SIAC becomes the first NCAA Division II conference to join The Crons Brand™, one of the fastest growing team sports apparel brands in the country. Crons, which created its name as an acronym from the phrase “Come ready or never start,” is based in Pittsburgh and describes what it sells as “motivational apparel.” Crons’s founder and owner is Pat Cavanaugh, 42, who played in the NCAA basketball tournament three times as a walk-on starter at Pittsburgh in the late 1980s.

“When I began the search for a new apparel partner, I wanted a company that understood the rich ethos of the Historically Black Colleges and Universities in general and the SIAC in particular. As a relatively new brand, Crons “Come Ready Or Never Start” approach not only mirrors the commitment and work ethic of our student-athletes, but Crons is also well positioned to tap into the enormous brand building, taste making, and trendsetting prowess of our nearly 35,000 SIAC students and SIAC 400,000 alumni,” stated SIAC Commissioner Greg Moore.

The Crons Brand is also the official apparel and uniform provider for the Big South Conference, Robert Morris University, University of Texas-Pan America, and others. “It’s kind of the haves and have-nots these days, and Crons is taking advantage of that, making quality apparel that’s affordable” for our fans and sports teams.

Come ready or never start!

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