UWF announces Dave Scott as interim athletic director
The University of West Florida announced today that Dave Scott, current director of Recreation and Sport Services, will serve as interim athletic director. Scott has been with the university since August of 1990, and has recently served on the Intercollegiate Athletic Advisory Committee. His duties as interim athletic director will include managing daily operations, implementing strategic initiatives and developing athletic priorities with staff input. Scott will also continue to provide direction to the Department of Recreation and Sport Services.
A search to fill the athletic director position will begin in fall 2008. William Healey, executive director of Student Life, will chair the search committee. The remaining search committee members will be selected in the fall. Scott’s appointment was announced at a regularly scheduled staff meeting this morning, and his appointment will continue until a new athletic director is hired.
Scott has an extensive background within UWF Athletics. He worked with the Athletic Department for eight years, from 1994 to 2002, primarily with marketing and promotions. He has assisted the department with numerous functions and has served on several committees over the past 17 years. Scott served on the organizing committee for the 2007 NCAA Fall Sports Festival in Pensacola and as an assistant golf coach in his early years at UWF. He has initiated and will be directing a benchmarking budget and staffing study with Gulf South Conference institutions and national peer institutions to help guide UWF into the future.
“The University of West Florida has a tremendous athletic staff, and I am excited about working with them over the next year to accomplish our goals,” said Scott. “UWF Athletics continues to excel nationally and we hope to continue that pursuit for excellence.”
Current Athletic Director Todd Davis submitted his letter of resignation on May 13, 2008. In a statement from the Vice President for Student Affairs Deborah Ford, she thanked Davis for his service to the university and wished him the best on his future endeavors.
The Athletic Department has also announced that John Bergen, currently the interim sports information director, will fill the UWF Cross Country coaching position. Bergen was a cross-country runner at Hanover College in Indiana. He holds a doctorate degree in exercise science, with emphasis on endurance performance and physiological adaptations. Bergen fills the position left vacant following Matt Dobson’s resignation.
“This is actually a position that fits me perfectly,” said Bergen. “It has been a few years since I last coached, but I am eagerly ready to jump back into the coaching world. There are rewards in coaching that you can’t get anywhere else, when you see that you can make a difference in a student-athlete’s success.” The new sports information director will be announced next week.
“I am pleased that both Dave and John are willing to accept these new responsibilities and build on the success of UWF Argonaut Athletics,” said Ford.
UWF Athletics is coming off a stellar year, with 10 of the 13 sports reaching NCAA tournaments. The Women’s teams collectively captured the Gulf South Conference All-Sports Trophy. The UWF All-Sports Award will be presented to UWF by the Gulf South Conference June 26.
For more information, contact the UWF Athletic Department at (850) 474-3003 or visit uwf.edu/athletics.
By Janice Cooper, University Marketing Communications
