Dr. Joel Erdmann has presided over one of the most successful eras in the University of South Alabama’s history and is now entering his 17th year as Director of Athletics. Such success follows hard work and an atmosphere of excellence inspired by the Erdmann motto and department’s core values, “graduation, citizenship, championships.”
GRADUATION: Under Erdmann's leadership, South Alabama Athletics earned the highest cumulative GPA in department history at 3.179. Additionally, the spring 2025 semester resulted in the highest term GPA in department history with Jaguar Athletics producing a 3.22. As a whole, USA also produced an APR of 989 for 2023-24 while 10 of its programs boasted a perfect 1,000.
CITIZENSHIP: During the 2023-24 school year, South Alabama Athletics finished third nationally in community service hours among schools registered on Helper Helper. The Men's Basketball team ranked first in the nation in community service by an NCAA Division I men's team while South Alabama Softball ranked third in the nation in community service by a women's athletics program. The following school year, South Alabama Athletics finished 15th nationally in community service hours. Men's basketball was once again ranked No. 1 in community service hours among all Division I programs, while women's basketball and men's track and field each finished second in their respective sports.
CHAMPIONSHIPS: South Alabama Athletics has been awarded the Vib Bubas Cup six times during Erdmann's tenure as AD, including four years in a row from 2014-2018.
Over the past decade-plus, Erdmann’s impact includes: milestone records both on the field and in the classroom by student-athletes, the beginning of an NCAA Division I FBS football program, new construction and/or renovation in every sport/facility, unprecedented fundraising, and the hiring of championship-driven team of coaches as well as a stellar team of administrative professionals and staff.
Over the course of his career in intercollegiate athletics, Erdmann’s expertise has been called upon for service in leadership and advisory roles within universities, conferences, the NCAA, and in communities to advance the future of sports for women and men. In baseball, Erdmann served a four-year term on the prestigious NCAA Division I Baseball Championship Committee where he served as Chairman of the Championship Selection Committee for the 2016 College World Series. As chair, his leadership responsibilities included oversight of the process to select and seed the best championship field of teams and provide the best experience for student-athletes, coaches, and fans for the NCAA DI Championship Baseball Tournament in Omaha.
In football, Erdmann joined a select group of Athletic Directors in 2017 who completed a mock selection exercise for the College Football Playoff Committee. During the 2006-07 academic year, Erdmann served on the NCAA Division II Football Championship Committee and he co-chaired the NCAA Division II Football Southeast Region Advisory Committee.
With an eye toward the future, Erdmann understands students, coaches and communities often define themselves by the places and spaces they gather. Creating a vibrant interactive game-day atmosphere for fans and a meaningful, competitive experience for student-athletes is an Erdmann hallmark for sustained success and a foundation for growth. Erdmann’s tenure at the University of South Alabama has touched every aspect of brick and mortar making up Jaguar Athletics. Taking into account his experiences in the construction and renovation of numerous facilities including the new Hancock Whitney Stadium, Erdmann recognizes the unique challenges in maintaining or constructing sports venues from funding and financing, development and planning, design, architecture, engineering and systems integration, and operations and maintenance for these venues.
The list of new construction, renovations and improvements is a point of pride among the entire department, its coaches and student-athletes which include:
• Athletics, Hancock Whitney Stadium — construction of 25,000-seat football stadium located on the west side of campus that includes a state-of-the-art video board and sound system, an end-zone terrace and 18-seat suites, with a four-story administration building located behind the North end zone;
• Athletics, Jaguar Training Center — construction of covered practice facility;
• Athletics, HKS Weight Room — enhancements/renovations to 4,000-plus square foot area;
• Football, Fieldhouse — enhancements and updates to player/coach meeting rooms and lounge;
• Baseball — construction of new Jon Lieber Clubhouse; renovated Luis Gonzalez Hitting Facility; 16’ x 35’ videoboard, outfield wall and bullpens, outfield decks for alumni/fans, field renovations, recognition Ring of Honor, signage and flags to building façade, parking and lighting enhancements, pre/post-game entertainment areas, addition of turf to the playing surfae at Stankey Field;
• Softball — 15’ x 28’ video board, stadium grandstand, dugouts and press box, covered hitting facility, outfield decks, field renovations, parking and lighting enhancements, pre/post-game entertainment areas, addition of a turf apron in the foul territory areas;
• Men’s & Women’s Basketball — new video board and lighting installed in Mitchell Center prior to 2019-20 season; team suites, lounges and locker rooms;
• Soccer — field upgrades, covered player benches & fan grandstand, press box, pre/post-game entertainment areas;
• Track and Field/Cross Country — new track surface installed in 2018; locker rooms, coaches’ offices, lounge, track facility enhancements including press box, spectator terraces, scoreboard and restroom facilities;
• Men’s & Women’s Golf — construction of practice facility at the Magnolia Grove Golf Course, team suites, office space, locker rooms, indoor hitting bay and putting studio;
• Men’s & Women’s Tennis — team suite, office space, lounge and locker rooms; and
• Volleyball — locker rooms, team suite, lounge and coaches offices, enhancement to playing venue, scoreboard, seating and speaker system.
The Erdmann File
Born: June 23, 1963, in Bismarck, N.D.
Education:
South Dakota State ’86, bachelor’s degree in education
South Alabama ’92, master’s degree in physical education
Florida State ’95, doctorate degree in sports management/athletic administration
Collegiate Playing Experience: Four years, baseball, South Dakota State
Coaching Experience:
Milbank (S.D.) American Legion — head coach, 1983-84
Brookings (S.D.) American Legion — assistant coach 1985-86
Tokay (Calif.) High — assistant coach 1986-87
Pacific — assistant baseball coach, 1987-91
South Alabama — graduate assistant baseball coach, 1992
South Alabama — volunteer assistant baseball coach, 1996-97
Teaching Experience:
Morada (Calif.) Middle School — 1987-91
South Alabama — graduate teaching assistant, 1991-92
Florida State — graduate teaching assistant, 1992-95
South Alabama — assistant/associate professor HPELS, 1995-02
Administrative Experience:
South Alabama — assistant to the athletic director, 1997-00
South Alabama — executive director, Jaguar Athletic Club, 2001-02
North Alabama — athletic director, 2002-07
Southeastern Louisiana — athletic director, 2007-09
South Alabama — athletic director, 2009-pres.
Family: Wife, Tina
