MOBILE, Ala. – University of South Alabama Director of Athletics Dr. Joel Erdmann announced on Wednesday both additions to the department as well as promotions and adjusted responsibilities among current staff members.

Earning promotions were current members of the staff Mike Giedlin to Associate Athletic Director of Business Operations, Jason Gwin to Assistant Athletic Director of Business Operations and Jason Kelly to Associate Athletic Director of Academic Services.  Cody Crisp — who already serves as Assistant Director of Academic Services — has added Game Operations to his duties, Lloyd Meyers has been moved to Director of Group Sales/Fan Experience and Mary Beth Massey is now the department's Marketing Coordinator.

Kristin Maas joins the staff as Associate Director of Academic Services from Auburn, where she worked for two years as an athletics academics counselor for the gymnastics, soccer and softball programs.   She has also served as an assistant registrar for athletic eligibility at Central Florida following an initial stint at AU as an athletic certification officer.  Maas earned her bachelor's degree in criminal justice from North Alabama in 2008 — where she also lettered in volleyball — and added a certificate in sports law from the Florida Coastal School of Law in '11.

Ethan Vicars will be an Athletic Academic Counselor, coming to South from Minnesota where he served as a post-graduate football academic intern since January. Prior to his stint at Minnesota, he was a graduate assistant for student-athlete academic services at Louisville. Vicars earned his bachelor's degree in elementary education from Appalachian State in 2015, and received his master's degree in sport and fitness administration from Louisville in 2017.

Alvin Franklin joins the staff as Assistant Director of Athletics Development after serving as an athletic development associate at UAB. Franklin was sports information director and an assistant baseball coach at Hinds (Miss.) Community College prior to his stint at UAB — helping lead the Eagles to the 2017 JUCO World Series — and has also worked as a graduate assistant in athletic development at Mississippi State. He earned his bachelor's degree from Jackson State in 2015, where he lettered in baseball and also interned in the athletic compliance office. Franklin received his master's degree in sport administration from Mississippi State in '16 as well.

Peyton Barnett is the department's new Compliance Coordinator after serving as a compliance graduate intern at Cincinnati since October 2017. Prior to that, he worked for the Detroit Tigers organization in Lakeland, Fla., as clubhouse attendant, and also has experience as student operations attendant at Bowling Green as well as serving an intern at Cardinal-Stritch Catholic (Ohio) High School. Barnett earned his bachelor's degree in education and human development-sport management from Bowling Green in 2017 and his master's degree in sport administration from Cincinnati in '18. Alli Cochran, a three-year letterwinner with Jaguar soccer program, was named Compliance Graduate Assistant as well.

"We are very fortunate to have a talented and committed administrative team," said Erdmann.  "The most visible component of an athletic department is and should be the sport program's student-athletes and coaching staff.  Those sport programs are surrounded by people who guide them through day-to-day operations and enhance their ability to perform at our highest possible level.  Regardless of what our duties may be, we all must be at the top of our game to push the department forward.

"These are the people who push every day, often behind the scenes."

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/WeAreSouth_JAGS. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).

Join the South Circle, the unrestricted giving option of the University of South Alabama Athletics.  Contributions to the South Circle directly support all 17 sports in addition to various support programming. For more information on how you can join visit: http://jaguarathleticfund.com/give

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