Pete Watkins Named Assistant Athletics Director FSU Women's Soccer Coach To Oversee Athletic Business Functions
The Ferris State University Department of Intercollegiate Athletics has appointed Pete Watkins as Assistant Athletics Director on an interim basis, as announced by FSU Athletics Director Tom Kirinovic.
Watkins, who's presently in his third year as Ferris State's women's soccer head coach, will assume additional responsibitlies which are associated with the position and will serve in that capacity on a renewable one-year basis. The 28-year old Watkins will be responsible for a wide-variety of functions such as establishing goals and fundraising plans for all athletic booster clubs, assisting with capital campaigns for athletic facilties, coordinating publication of all athletic fundraising documents and newsletters, directing the sale of all department advertising and corporate sponsorships, and organizing and directing ticket sale drives for hockey, football, and basketball.
"We're excited to have Pete in this capacity," said Kirinovic. "At this time, we believe Pete is an excellent fit. He's a well-respected individual by his peers and has a nice vision for what we can accomplish here at Ferris State."
"This is a tremendous opportunity for me because Ferris State University is a fine institution with a great athletics history and tradition," Watkins said. "I'm grateful to be a part of their athletics department and excited about making a contribution to the continued success of Bulldog Athletics,"
A native of Big Rapids, Mich., Watkins was named FSU's first women's soccer head coach on April 29, 1999. A season ago, Ferris was recognized nationally for their performance as the Bulldogs ranked third among the NCAA Division II's most improved teams in 2000. Watkins, who also served as head coach of the Big Rapids (Mich.) High School girls' soccer team for three seasons (1996, 1999 and 2000), was the head women's soccer coach at NCAA Division I Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, La., in 1998. Under his guidance, the Demons finished the 1998 season with the best record in the program's history and made a semifinal appearance in the conference's post-season tournament while Watkins was honored as the Southland Conference's Coach of the Year. Previous to Northwestern State, Watkins spent the 1997 campaign as head women's soccer coach and assistant intramural director at his alma mater, MacMurray College, in Jacksonville, Ill.
Following his one-year stint at MacMurray, Watkins then coached in an assistant capacity at NCAA-I Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas, from 1994 through 1996. His primary responsibilties were as the Ladyjacks' recruiting coordinator.
As a student-athlete at MacMurray, Watkins was a two-time (1993-94) All-St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference selection and was a honorable mention Adidas Scholar-Athlete All-American in 1994. He graduated summa cum laude from MacMurray in 1994.
|
