The Kennesaw State Owls have hired Vaughn Williams as their new athletic director, replacing David Waples, who left last August. Let it not be declared that KSU is in the business of rushing into things: their football program will begin a year after seemingly every other school in the state puts a new team on the field, and their basketball program has been coachless for almost a month now after Tony Ingle was fired.
Williams comes from the Connecticut Huskies athletic department, where he was an associate AD for six years. That also explains the delay in getting the hoops coach search underway, the KSU had to wait on UConn to finish its national title run.
He's also worked for the Boston College Eagles, Utah Utes, and Toledo Rockets after playing football at UMass. His job titles and descriptions have often seemed to revolve around facilities, though KSU president Daniel Papp touts his wide-ranging background.
He's pitched his leadership style as being very personal and hands-on, which may be a nice fit for a department working to develop a Division I-caliber structure. The way Williams describes his instructive Toledo experience of building in the regional shadow of national powers, you'd have to think it was a factor in his hire.
Williams to the Atlanta Business Chronicle:
I look forward to continuing and growing our presence regionally and nationally at the Division 1 level. The entire University is on an upward path toward excellence in all areas and I want athletics to be a key part of the building process.
Papp on the hire:
I am extremely pleased that Vaughn Williams is bringing his leadership to the athletic director's position at KSU, as we set our sights on becoming increasingly competitive in the top-tier of collegiate sports.
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