ELON COLLEGE, NC -- The Elon College Department of Athletics has announced changes to its staff, effective immediately.
Clay Hassard (Associate Director of Athletics for Compliance and Campus Relations) has been promoted to Senior Associate Director of Athletics; Chris Rash (Assistant Director of Sports Information), Kelly Lloyd (Assistant Business Manager and Ticket Manager) and Rod Deaton (Head Strength and Conditioning Coach) have been promoted from part-time positions to full-time roles; and Kyle Wills (Associate Director of Athletics for Business Operations) will now also supervise Elon's sports information, marketing and promotion efforts.
"These changes and promotions reflect the quality of work performance by these individuals as well as providing much needed assistance for our continuing program expansion," said Dr. Alan White, Elon Director of Athletics. "Clay Hassard and Kyle Wills provide excellent leadership in the conduct of their respective responsibilities."
Hassard monitors Elon's compliance with NCAA regulations and works closely with the institution’s admissions, financial aid and housing offices, and also oversees the area of academic progress within the department. He has taken on direct responsibility for several sports programs, and is the department's primary liaison between various other offices on campus. The 1984 Elon graduate was an all-conference and Academic All-American offensive lineman. Hassard spent five seasons on the Elon football staff as an assistant coach while earning his M.B.A. degree from Elon in 1988. He became part of the department's administrative staff as an Assistant Director of Athletics in 1990, and was later promoted to Associate Director of Athletics in 1995.
Rash joined the staff in October on a part-time basis, aiding in Elon's publicity efforts for its 16 NCAA Division I sports while serving as the primary media relations contact for the Phoenix's Big South Conference runner-up women's basketball squad. The 1999 High Point University graduate earned a B.A. degree in English and interned for a semester with WGHP/Fox TV-8. Rash also worked four years in the Panther sports information office as a student assistant. He is married to the former Michelle Cater, a 1999 Elon graduate.
Lloyd has served the department as Assistant Business Manager on a part-time basis while pursuing an M.B.A. degree at Elon the past two years. The 1999 Elon graduate was an all-region softball player who shattered 20 program records during her four-year career. She will now work with the business operations for the department in a full-time capacity as well as take on operations for ticket distribution for Elon athletics and the new Rhodes Stadium.
Deaton worked as Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Phoenix in a part-time role last year after holding a similar post at Wofford College for two years. In his new position at Elon, he will design, implement and oversee the strength and conditioning programs for Elon's 16 varsity athletic teams. Deaton earned a B.S. degree in physical education from the College of Charleston in 1996 and a M.A. degree in health and exercise science from Furman University in 1998.
Wills was promoted to Associate Director of Athletics in March 1998, representing another milestone during his 20-year career at Elon. Wills oversees duties related to the department's overall budget, including purchasing, team travel and recruiting expenses for all sports. His responsibilities also include the management of all athletic facilities and ticket operations as well as daily supervision of office staff. Wills’ association with Elon began in the early 1970’s, when his father was Head Athletic Trainer and Assistant Director of Athletics under Red Wilson. He graduated from Elon in 1981, and was immediately hired as Supervisor of Athletic Facilities at the school. He was promoted to Athletics Business Manager in 1987, and was then named Assistant Director of Athletics in 1995.
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