GSUAF Soaring, Summer/Fall 2011

Soaring

Inside

Sam Baker:Building Success

Our Vision: Rings and Diplomas

Soaring to Victory

GSU Athletic Foundation Organizational Structure

For All the Right Reasons

GEORGIA SOUTHERN UNIVERSITYATHLETIC FOUNDATIONSummer/Fall 2011

Back in January 1996, when he first arrived in Statesboro as GSU’s newly-hired athletics director, Sam Baker

realized that he needed to roll up his shirtsleeves and get to work. The most glaring deficiency of the program he

inherited was facilities. The football team dressed in a cage underneath Hanner Field House. Football coaches worked out of trailers and concession stands. Position coaches held meetings in stairwells. And those were just the facility challenges facing football. Fast forward a decade-and-a-half later and every athletic facility on campus

bears the mark of Baker’s determination to give every Eagle

team the ability to compete for, and win, championships. The Parrish

Building, J. I. Clements Stadium, the Bennett-Ramsey Golf Center – these are just some of the facilities that have helped our Eagles bring back championship after championship to Statesboro. But facility upgrades are a constant and evolving process – one that is never fully complete. Future

successes rest on today’s planning. To strengthen and meet the program’s goals, the $36 million

Soaring to Victory Capital Campaign is now underway. Its goal is simple: it is time to transform the face of Georgia Southern athletics for future generations. The initial focus of the Soaring to Victory Campaign will center on creating a football operations center. This 57,000 square foot facility, built in the east end zone of Paulson Stadium, would house the locker room, weight room, Hall of Fame, sports medicine room, equipment and laundry room, and offices and meeting rooms for the football program. As designed, this facility would rival any FBS facility. But this facility would similarly aid every Eagle program, principally by freeing up the Iron Works. As the sole training and conditioning center for the department, over 1,200 bodies pass through the Iron Works on a weekly basis. Now, with football moving its conditioning programs to this new operations center, more time and space will be available for every Eagle athlete to train for championships. A sampling of other facility issues addressed include the renovation of the Parrish Center to become home to the athletic department; work on the entrance to Hanner Field House; a transformation of the current practice fields into a new lighted track/soccer stadium; and a relocation of the football practice fields to the current track/soccer facility. All these objectives and more are part of the athletic department’s vision. Great facilities and program improvements do not encompass all of the athletic department’s goals. Their quest for championships is fundamental to the program, but winning in the classroom completes

Building Success

its mission. “Our student-athletes play a sport they love and accomplish goals in competition,” Baker says, “but of greater importance to all of us is the desire for them to earn a diploma.” Hence, the department’s strategic vision of “Rings and Diplomas”: giving every Eagle student-athlete the opportunity to leave Georgia Southern with their college degree and a championship experience. With all these goals and their inherent costs, one may also ask, why, now in this economic climate, a new fundraising effort is necessary? Timing is a crucial element when making future growth plans. “There is a renewed energy within our football program,” Baker observes, “and if we can raise the required money quickly the current construction pricing would be very attractive. It is the best period ever to get more for your dollar. This project also puts people to work in this community. That’s good for everyone.” Keenly aware of the fans’ thirst for winning football championships, Baker knows that improve-ments are crucial. “In the grand scheme of things, we are in our infancy as a Division I department with football. Some schools have played football for more than a century, but we started in 1982, and we have had more success than most. Success does not just happen. It takes good facilities, good coaches and talented student-athletes.” “This is the single most important campaign ever for the program – it will set the future for the next 20 – 25 years for this university and greatly benefit future generations,” Baker adds. “People who have supported Eagle Athletics have set the tone for the university. Your support now will determine who we are in the future and is greatly appreciated.”

New ConstructionTotal: $10,225,000Bishop Academic Enhancement CenterDan J. Parrish, Sr. Football CenterTroy & Mozelle Cowart BuildingJ.I. Clements Baseball StadiumIron Works Weight Training CenterTrack & Soccer ComplexBishop Field HouseBennett-Ramsey Golf CenterHoward HouseHerring Pavilion Softball SeatingSoftball Locker Room

Facility Improvements 1997 - 2011

Below: Architects’ rendering of the proposed Football Operations Facility.

Major RenovationsTotal: $6,870,000Paulson Stadium Eagle VisionPaulson Stadium P. A. SystemJ.I. Clements Baseball Hitting CagesHanner Field House Floor and SeatingSoftball Playing FieldFootball Locker RoomSports Medicine / Athletic Training CenterEagle Club SeatingRe-Surfacing of Tennis CourtsPaulson Stadium Brick FacadeCurry Men’s Basketball Locker RoomWomen’s Basketball Locker RoomParrish Football Building Hall of FameConcourse / Concessions at Paulson StadiumFootball Practice Fields Renovation

Championships1997 - 2011

30 Southern Conference championships27 appearances in NCAA postseason playEagle Football program: •7SoContitles •9NCAAplayoffappearances (Division I FCS)

•NCAAFCStitlesin1999and2000

The vision of the Georgia Southern University Athletic Department phrased simply, but aptly, is Rings and Diplomas. We strive to provide the opportunity for a championship ring and a college diploma for each one of our promising and talented student-athletes.

Our Mission: Today’s Investments Realize Tomorrow’s Victories The Georgia Southern University Athletic Foundation is the official fund-raising

arm of GSU Athletics and is thus charged with helping to implement our vision

through financial support. The Athletic Foundation is an independent, non-profit

organization which raises money for Georgia Southern University student-athlete

scholarships and priority needs of the athletics department as approved by its

board of directors.

Our Student-Athlete Vision: Rings and DiplomasEvery student-athlete who walks onto our campus will be provided the best possible

opportunity to win a championship ring and his or her degree. The student-ath-

letes, coaches, and administration will be provided the resources necessary for suc-

cess in both. This vision is the guiding principle for the Georgia Southern Athletic

Department’s strategic plan.

Georgia Southern University Athletics Vision: Rings and Diplomas

RINGS

Goal: To win a conference or national championship in all sports at the highest possible level of competition

Strategies:

I. Hire and retain highest-caliber coaches and staff possible

• Ensure competitive salaries at or above the conference mid-point

• Create a “Margin of Excellence Endowment Fund” to provide performance-

based incentives and mechanism for salary supplements to ensure coaching

continuity

II. Recruit Nationally-Competitive Student-Athletes

• Increase recruiting budgets for all sports by 50%

• Provide opportunities for signature competitive and travel experiences

for players and coaches

• Increase availability of technology for coaches

• Hire additional recruiting staff members in many sports

III. Provide best-of-class athletic facilities for exceptional competitive

and recruiting results

• Complete Athletics Facilities Master Plan

• Develop Football Operations Center at Paulson Stadium

• Expansion of Paulson Stadium seating capacity

• Create Athletics Department Administrative Office

• Hanner Field House Renovation

• Soccer / Track Stadium Relocation and Lighting

• Development of New Football Practice Complex

• Cowart Building / Ticket Office Expansion

• Create Indoor Multi-Purpose Practice Center

• Construct Softball Batting Cage Complex

IV. Upgrade Technology Infrastructure to enhance the fan experience

• Purchase new scoreboards and PA systems for football, baseball and

basketball

• Implement E-ticketing and scanning program

• Upgrade Athletics web site and provide on-demand programming

• Create Athletics film studio and expand broadcast production ability

DIPLOMAS

Goal: To graduate 100% of our student-athletes with transferrable career and life skills

Strategies:

I. Fully fund Student-Athlete scholarships through private funding

• Double GSUAF Annual Campaign / Donor Base

- Increase / maximize auxiliary income

- Double GSUAF scholarship endowment

II. Fully staff and fund the Athletics Academic Support Center

III. Implement a Student-Athlete Laptop Program

IV. Creation of a Career / Life Skills Program with appropriate staff

and budget

Georgia Southern University Athletics Vision: Rings and Diplomas

Georgia Southern University Athletic Foundation

Total Campaign Goal: $36,625,000

“You cannot fly like an eagle with the wings of a wren.” - William Henry Hudson

Funding Priorities by Phase and Giving Category

Eagle Fund Annual Giving

$500,000•IncreaseannualEagleFundcampaigncontributionstoensurecompetitivesalariesator

above the conference mid-point Goal: $500,000

Capital Campaign$15,000,000

• Position GSU Football as our marquee program by developing a Football Operations Center at Paulson Stadium and recruit the country’s best student-athletes

Goal: $10,000,000

• Create a “Margin of Excellence Endowment Fund” to provide performance-based incentives and mechanism for salary supplements to ensure coaching continuity Goal: $5,000,000

Soaring to Victory

This edition of Soaring is devoted to highlighting our mission to fulfill the

vision and goals of Georgia Southern University Athletics and

introduce you to the Soaring to Victory Campaign.

We are faced with a tremendous generational opportunity. Not

since Erk Russell’s “dirty dozen,” the group who led the effort to put Georgia Southern

Football on the map in 1982, have we had an opportunity to impact the entire athletics

Phase I: Stabilizing the Program • Fundraising Goal: $15,500,000

program, the university, the community and the region in such a meaningful way.

We are embarking on this exciting $36 million campaign with the goal of

achieving our mission in five phases over eight years. The successful completion of the

campaign will ensure the attainment of “Rings and Diplomas” for all student-athletes

and will guide the program for the next 25 years.

Georgia Southern University Athletic Foundation

Total Campaign Goal: $36,625,000

“You cannot fly like an eagle with the wings of a wren.” - William Henry Hudson

Funding Priorities by Phase and Giving Category

Soaring to Victory

Phase I: Stabilizing the Program • Fundraising Goal: $15,500,000

Phase II: Enhancing the Student-Athlete Experience • Fundraising Goal: $2,850,00O

Capital Campaign

$1,700,000

•DoubletheAthleticFoundation’sscholarshipendowment Goal: $1,500,000

•ImplementaStudent-AthleteLaptopProgram Goal: $200,000

Phase III: Upgrading Athletic Facilities • Fundraising Goal: $7,500,000

Capital Campaign

$7,500,000•ExpansionofPaulsonStadiumseatingcapacity Goal: $2,500,000•Soccer/TrackStadiumRelocationandLighting Goal: $2,500,000•DevelopmentofNewFootballPracticeComplex Goal: $1,000,000•CreateAthleticsDepartmentAdministrativeOffice Goal: $500,000•CowartBuilding/TicketOfficeExpansion Goal: $500,000•ConstructSoftballBattingCageComplex Goal: $250,000•CreateIndoorMulti-PurposePracticeCenter Goal: $250,000

Eagle Fund Annual Giving Capital Campaign

$10,500,000•PurchasenewscoreboardsandPAsystemsforfootball,baseball and basketball Goal: $5,500,000•HannerFieldHouseRenovation Goal: $5,000,000

Eagle Fund Annual Giving Capital Campaign

$275,000•ImplementE-ticketingandscanningprogram Goal: $100,000•CreateAthleticsfilmstudioandexpandbroadcastproductionability Goal: $75,000•UpgradeAthleticsWebSiteandprovideon-demandprogramming Goal: $50,000•Increaseavailabilityoftechnologyforcoaches Goal: $50,000


Phase IV: Improving the Fan Experience • Fundraising Goal: $10,500,000

Phase V: Expanding the Technology Infrastructure • Fundraising Goal: $275,000

Give 110% for your Eagles!




$1,150,000

•DoubleGSUAFAnnualCampaign/DonorBase Goal: $1,000,000 - Fully fund Student-Athlete scholarships through private funding Goal: $350,000 - Fully staff and fund the Athletics Academic Support Center Goal: $250,000 - Creation of a Career / Life Skills Program with appropriate Goal: $250,000 staff and budget-Hireadditionalrecruitingstaffmembersinmanysports Goal:$150,000

•Increase/MaximizeAuxiliaryIncome Goal: $150,000 - Increase recruiting budgets for all sports by 50% Goal:$100,000 - Provide opportunities for signature competitive and travel Goal: $ 50,000 experiences

President:

John Mulherin

[email protected]

The President holds the execu-

tive leadership position and

oversees the governance of the

organization, leadership gift

donations, capital campaigns,

planned giving, auxiliary revenue and the executive,

management and finance committees of the board

of directors.

Eagle Fund Executive

Director:

David Beaubien

[email protected]

The Eagle Fund Executive Di-

rector oversees the operations

of the Eagle Fund annual

giving program and supervises

the duties and responsibilities of the Eagle Fund

Program Coordinator and the Special Projects Co-

ordinator. The position is responsible for organiza-

tional growth and communication strategies.

Donor Relations

Director: Frank Hook

[email protected]

The Donor Relations Direc-

tor participates in major gift

solicitations, coordination

with the Eagle Fund Delegate

Program chapter leaders, and

gift-in-kind donations.

Atlanta Regional

Office Director:

Lindsey Randolph

[email protected]

The Atlanta Regional Office

Director participates in major

gift solicitations and coordina-

tion with the Eagle Fund Del-

egate Program chapter leaders in the Atlanta area.

Operations Director:

Kathryn Bryant

[email protected]

The Operations Director over-

sees the general office opera-

tions, accounts payable, and

the coordination of student-

athlete recruitment visits.

Other duties include executive administrative

assistant responsibilities, coordination of game-day

hospitality and special events.

Donor Records Director:

Dee Parker

[email protected]

The Donor Records Director

is responsible for all aspects

of financial accounting, gift

processing, reporting and

acknowledgement, the multi-

payment option program and the payroll deduction

gift program.

Making Our Athletes’ Dreams Come TrueEagle Fund Program

Coordinator:

Caroline Bevillard

[email protected]

The Eagle Fund Program

Coordinator organizes and

oversees the operations of the

Eagle Fund Delegate Program,

the parking program, the endowment stewardship

program, and participates in game-day hospitality.

Eagle Fund Special

Projects Coordinator:

Gordon Hunter

[email protected]

The Eagle Fund Special

Projects Coordinator serves as

liaison with the Eagle Fund

Delegates and chapter leaders,

coordinates activities of the Eagle Football Alumni

Association, Eagle Football Parents Association, Stu-

dent Eagle Club and the Young Alumni Program.

Other duties include game-day hospitality.

Our football history and tradition

are second to none at any level

– it is clear that Georgia Southern

is established as one of college

football’s elite programs. We take great pride in

these accomplishments and strive to continue to

make our school and fans proud.

But the athletics program has facilities

and operational shortcomings that must be

addressed to continue our quest for victories on

the field and in the classroom. The Soaring to

Victory Campaign has identified these needed

improvements and additions. Addressing them will

set us apart from our competition and position us

to be an elite athletics program for years to come.

It is my job, along with my fellow coaches in

all 15 sports, to see that each one of our student-

athletes is honored with a championship ring and

a diploma from Georgia Southern University. I am

Calling All Eagles!A Message from Head Football Coach Jeff Monken

proud to be a part of a team that supports these

same goals for our young people.

Please join us as we work to ensure that

“Rings and Diplomas” is fulfilled. The Soaring to

Victory Campaign is your opportunity to help us

reach our goals.

Here’s what you can do:

• When you make your donation to the Eagle

Fund, raise the bar and give 110% for your Eagles.

• Do your personal best to bring one more new

donor to the Athletic Foundation.

• Become an Eagle Fund Delegate. Join others

in your community who seek to volunteer on

behalf of the Eagles. Call Caroline Bevillard at

912.478.5520 for more information.

Women’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year

Caroline Bevillard (pictured above), was

a senior member of the Swimming and

Diving team, had a 3.97 GPA in Sport

Management and won this award last year.

Bevillard was honored as one of 13 NCAA Post-

graduate Scholars. The four-year letterwinner

has one individual GSU record and four others

as a member of relay teams. Last spring, based on

her leadership, academic excellence and athletic

achievement, she was selected as a recipient of

the Southern Conference’s Coleman Lew Lead-

ership Award. She recently served as the president

of Georgia Southern’s Student-Athlete Advisory

Board.

Men’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year

Football’s Chris Rogers claimed the first

Scholar-Athlete of the Year honor, the first

to represent the gridiron since 2007. The

For All the Right ReasonsEagle placekicker sported a 3.76 GPA and gradu-

ated in the spring with a degree in Biology. Next fall,

Rogers will enroll at Mercer Medical School with a

full scholarship to pursue his dream of becoming a

surgeon. He was active in Georgia Southern’s com-

munity outreach program with the Boys and Girls

Club as well as the Bulloch County School System.

Rogers was a member of the Student-Athlete Advi-

sory Board.

Scholar All-America Honors

Awarded to Swimming and

Diving Team

The College Swimming Coaches Associa-

tion of America (CSCAA) announced its

Scholar All-America teams for the spring

2011 semester and the Georgia Southern Swim-

ming and Diving team has been honored for the

seventh-straight semester. The CSCAA ranks all

NCAA Division I teams twice a year, once after

each academic term, and teams with a grade point

average of 3.0 or higher are named to this distin-

guished CSCAA Scholar All-America list. With the

current Scholar All-America program in place since

2008, the Eagles have been included each and every

semester.

Eagles Earn AVCA Team Academic

Award for 2010 Season

The Georgia Southern Volleyball team

earned the American Volleyball Coaches

Association (AVCA) Team Academic

Award for the 2010 season after posting a 3.37

grade point average for the entire 2010-11 aca-

demic year.

Volleyball also led all Eagle teams with a

3.46 GPA in the spring semester and posted their

fourth-straight 3.0 or better semester. Eight mem-

bers of the 2010 SoCon Volleyball Tournament

Champions were named to the Dean’s List while

three were added to the President’s List.

Cleveland Golf/Srixon

All-America Scholars Named

The Golf Coaches Association of Amer-

ica (GCAA) announced the Cleveland

Golf/Srixon All America Scholars. Logan

Blondell (below right) and Matt Deal (above) rep-

resented Georgia Southern on the 2011 edition of

the list, two of the 138 total Division I players to

earn the honor. Blondell and Deal, both named All-

America Scholars in 2010, helped lead the Eagles to

their third-straight NCAA Regional appearance.

To be eligible for Cleveland Golf/Srixon All-

America Scholar status an individual must be

a junior or senior academically, compete in

at least two full years at the collegiate level,

participate in 70-percent of his team’s com-

petitive rounds or compete in the NCAA

Championships, have a stroke-average under

76.0 in Division I and maintain a minimum

cumulative grade-point average of 3.2. A

recipient must also be of high moral charac-

ter and be in good standing at his college or

university.

Georgia Southern Athletics

Scholar-Athletes of 2010-2011

Welcome to the sixth edition of the Georgia Southern University Athletic Foundation’s quarterly newsletter, Soaring. As an organiza-tion, we are committed to bringing you the original content, feature articles and sports highlights that keep you connected with our program.

Support Georgia Southern University student-athletes who are seeking to rise to new personal heights by advancing their lives through sports and education while earning their “Rings and Diplo-mas.” Call 1.912.478.5520 or visit www.ringsanddiplomas.com to find out how you can help.

SoaringStudent-Athletes Earn Spots On Academic All-Conference Team

Georgia Southern carded 22 honorees on the Southern Conference 2011 Academic All-Confer-

ence Spring Season team which included a spring season record of 326 student-athletes. All

of the league’s 12 member institutions were represented on the team which honors the best

student-athletes in the league.

Name Sport Eric Phillips Baseball

Victor Roache Baseball

Colin Snow Baseball

Logan Blondell Men’s Golf

Matthew Deal Men’s Golf

Sebastien Felt Men’s Tennis

Juan Puigventos Melian Men’s Tennis

Mark Paetz Men’s Tennis

Mathijs Verdam Men’s Tennis

Kelly Burnett Softball

Bethany Crenshaw Softball

John [email protected]

David BeaubienExecutive Director of the Eagle Fund [email protected]

Frank HookDirector of Donor [email protected]

Lindsey RandolphAtlanta Regional AthleticsDevelopment [email protected]

Kathryn BryantOperations [email protected]

Dee ParkerDonor Records [email protected]

GEORGIA SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC FOUNDATION, INC.

P.O. BOX 8115-01

STATESBORO, GEORGIA 30460-8115

1-912-478-5520

www.ringsanddiplomas.com

Name SportHanna Ennis Softball

Andrea Tarashuk Softball

Jorie Walker Softball

Mackenzie Williams Softball

Sara Curry Track & Field

Morgan Jefferson Track & Field

Kassi Lee Track & Field

Brittani Martin Track & Field

Ali Beavers Women’s Tennis

Alessandra Dzuba Women’s Tennis

Natalie Maffett Women’s Ten-

nis

On the cover:Eagle Brandavious Mann excels on the football field as well as in the community. As president of the Student-Athlete Advisory Board (SAAB), he and his fellow student-ath-letes on the board exercise their philanthropic skills by organizing community service efforts as part of their board duties. Cover photo of Brandavious Mann by Scott Bryant.

Caroline BevillardEagle Fund Program [email protected]

Gordon HunterEagle Fund SpecialProjects [email protected]

John RamfjordAthletics Ticket [email protected]

Writer/Editor: Bonnie Jaeger

Graphic Design: Hilde Keldermans

Photography: Suzanne Oliver Frank Fortune

For All the Right Reasons

GSUAF Soaring, Summer/Fall 2011

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