MOBILE, Ala. – When University of South Alabama President Gordon Moulton began the search for a new Director of Athletics last month, it was important to him that the incoming person have already served in that role at another institution. Once he and the school’s search committee were able to sift through the résumés of more than 50 candidates, one individual not only met that criteria, but offered previous ties to the institution.
Dr. Joel Erdmann, an athletic director at two schools the last seven years after serving in numerous administrative capacities for Jaguar Athletics the previous seven, was introduced as USA’s fourth Director of Athletics at a 2 p.m. press conference held at the Mitchell Center Sunday.
He replaces Joe Gottfried, who held the position from September 1984 until announcing his retirement on June 2. Mel Lucas and Cliff Ellis have also filled the role since the school was founded in 1963.
“With the implementation of USA’s football and marching band programs, we are entering an exciting new era in Jaguar athletics,” Moulton said. “Joel Erdmann brings to the University of South Alabama the experience that comes from having led other athletic programs, as well as a familiarity with and appreciation for USA athletics stemming from his earlier leadership position here. Dr. Erdmann is the right person to take the torch from Joe Gottfried and lead University of South Alabama athletics to the next level.”
“I appreciate President Moulton and everyone who was involved in the selection process,” Erdmann said. “I am honored to have the opportunity to lead this tradition-filled department and look forward to capitalizing on the addition of football while maintaining a high level of excellence throughout all sport programs. It is truly a privilege to be a member of the University of South Alabama and a memorable time to be a Jaguar.”
Erdmann, 46, comes to USA from Southeastern Louisiana, where he has guided a department that is comprised of 15 sports, 70 staff members and 320 student-athletes since May 2007. In competition, SLU won the 2009 Southland Conference All-Sports Trophy in men’s sports while also recording the school’s highest finish ever in the competition for the league’s Commissioner’s Cup.
Off the fields and courts, he reorganized the department’s structure, creating divisions of student support services, external affairs and an expanded academic support program, and oversaw facility construction projects that included a football stadium club, suites and press box, a new strength and conditioning facility, a student-athlete academic success center, a Hall of Champions, Donor Wall of Recognition and improvements to the soccer and softball facilities. His efforts helped the school enhance its Academic Progress Rate (APR) and Graduation Success Rate (GSR) performance, while also landing a $100,000 grant from the NCAA to renovate the student-athlete academic success center.
In addition to seeing ticket revenue in football, basketball and baseball increase last year over the totals posted in 2007-08, Erdmann oversaw the sales of the football stadium club and suites, created a seating selection process and also modified the layout in the basketball arena to create premium courtside seats and enhance the seats available to students. As Interim Director of the Lion Athletic Association, he expanded the board, updated the association bylaws and created its first-ever membership drive.
Erdmann was responsible for creating and monitoring the department’s budgets - finishing the 2008 fiscal year in balance - the Lion Athletic Association’s budget as well as various development and foundation accounts. He also hired senior level administrative support staff, served on numerous university and conference committees and was active in the Hammond community.
His first position guiding an athletic department began in August 2002 when he was named Director of Athletics at North Alabama. In five years with the institution, Erdmann oversaw a unit that made 19 NCAA Championships appearances highlighted by a title and a runner-up finish by the volleyball program, while recording its highest rankings ever in the NACDA United States Sports Academy Directors’ Cup in 2003-0 and ’04-05. The football squad advanced to the semifinals of the NCAA Division II playoffs twice and the quarterfinals once while claiming a pair of GSC championships. The men’s golf team won the region en route to finishing sixth in the country, with the men’s basketball, baseball, softball, men’s and women’s tennis, and men’s and women’s cross country programs experiencing their best seasons in a decade as well. The Lions’ 12 programs - comprised of 270 student-athletes – also earned several Gulf South Conference titles.
In the classroom, not only did UNA record the highest graduation rate of any public four-year institution that plays football in the state, it posted seven of the top 10 semester departmental GPAs including the highest on record.
Erdmann was responsible for creating and managing a $3.5 million budget for the athletic department. In addition to increasing every sport’s operating budget for the first time since 1988, he helped build the cash reserve for athletics from $17,000 t o$320,000. He also created and coordinated all departmental marketing and fundraising activities - Erdmann’s efforts in those areas helped increase corporate giving by $270,000 as well as membership numbers and donations to the UNA Sportsman’s Club.
In his time at UNA, Erdmann helped negotiate and contract facility partnerships with the city of Florence for an $800,000 softball field and stadium while overseeing improvements to the baseball locker room and grandstand as well as women’s basketball and volleyball locker rooms. His efforts to renovate the basketball arena led to a refinished floor, new scoreboards, press row, lights, sound system and arena façade. Erdmann also was instrumental in the development of a new strength and conditioning facility and a Hall of Champions that included a Trophy Room and honored the school’s All-Americans.
A member of the NCAA Division II Football Committee during the 2006-07 academic year, Erdmann also co-chaired the NCAA Division II Football Southeast Region Advisory Committee. In addition to serving on the Gulf South Conference Strategic Planning Committee, he was a member of numerous university and community committees in Florence.
Erdmann was also the school’s Interim Vice President for Student Affairs from April 2005-May 2006, helping UNA set an enrollment record with 6,450 students for the Fall 2005 semester.
Erdmann first joined the USA staff in 1995 as an assistant baseball coach, a position her served in for two seasons. During that stretch, the Jags finished with a combined mark of 85-36 (70.2%), won the Sun Belt Conference championship both years, and advanced to an NCAA Regional each season - they would finish as the runner-up at the South I Region in Baton Rouge in 1997, ending the spring ranked as high as 15th in the final national polls.
Following the end of that campaign, Erdmann became an Assistant to the Athletic Director. In that role, which he held until December 2000, he focused on game operations, compliance and special projects. He was the manager for the 2001 Sun Belt Basketball Tournament, which included 24 teams in the combined men’s and women’s event, as well as the league’s baseball championships in 1998 and ’00. Erdmann also coordinated game operations for men’s and women’s basketball, baseball, volleyball and soccer, which included directing numerous activities the first year the Mitchell Center opened.
In January 2001, he was promoted to Assistant Athletic Director and Executive Director of the Jaguar Athletic Club. Erdmann coordinated all of the club’s operations, amended the mission and membership criteria for the Board of Directors, realigned member benefits and modified giving levels, and enhanced communication through the creation of a quarterly newsletter.
While at USA, Erdmann was a tenured associate professor in the College of Education, a member of the graduate faculty and a graduate assistant coordinator.
A 1986 South Dakota State graduate with a degree in education, he began his career in athletics as an assistant baseball coach for an American Legion team while still a student. He began a four-year stint as an assistant coach at Pacific in 1987, working as a social science and physical education teacher in Stockton at the same time.
Erdmann first came to USA in 1991 to serve as a graduate assistant on the baseball staff. In addition to helping the Jaguars finish 44-16, advance to an NCAA Regional and win the SBC East Division title, he left in 1992 with a master’s degree in physical education.
He earned his doctorate from Florida State in 1995 in sports management/athletic administration, working as Operations Coordinator for the Tallahassee Convention and Visitors Bureau while completing the degree.
A native of Bismarck, N.D., Erdmann is married to the former Tina Milton. The couple has three dogs and a cat.
For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).
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