Axe ’Em, Jacks!
NACOGDOCHES, Texas — Stephen F. Austin State University announced Friday that athletics director Ryan Ivey has been named Louisiana Tech’s vice president and director of athletics. He joins the Ruston, Louisiana, university with more than 18 years of experience in intercollegiate athletics.
"I am so grateful for my time here at Stephen F. Austin,” Ivey said. “The people here are astounding and have a deep passion for SFA. I am proud of the work and successes that we have achieved over the last six years, and I look forward to watching SFA continue to grow and have success. Great things are coming!"
Ivey has served as SFA athletics director since July 2018.
“We extend our deepest gratitude to Ryan for his commitment and contributions to SFA athletics,” Interim President Gina Oglesbee said in an announcement to campus Friday. “Please join me in wishing him all the best in his new role.”
During his tenure, he led the department through a conference transition, raised private support, including securing the four largest single gifts in the department's history, increased ticket sales by 18%, and completed more than $30 million in facility improvements.
"Ryan brings the experience, leadership, and understanding of intercollegiate athletics that we were looking for," LA Tech President Jim Henderson said. "As an athletics director for more than a decade, he is fully aware of the expectations this role carries. We could not be more excited to welcome him and his family to Ruston to lead our Bulldogs and Lady Techsters into a new era of competitive excellence."
Ivey, a graduate of The University of Memphis, has also served as athletics director at Austin Peay State University and Texas A&M University-Commerce. No stranger to Louisiana, prior to his most recent roles, he spent nearly six years at McNeese State University. Ivey will officially take the helm at Tech next month.
Ivey was selected following a national search that attracted dozens of well-qualified applicants.
"The ever-changing landscape of collegiate athletics demands a nimble leader committed to not only reacting to the whims of business and policy but one committed to proactively positioning the department for success," Henderson continued. "Ryan is fully prepared for the task of advancing Louisiana Tech athletics along with our coaches, support staff, and most importantly, our more than 350 student athletes."
ABOUT STEPHEN F. AUSTIN STATE UNIVERSITY
Stephen F. Austin State University, the newest member of The University of Texas System, began a century ago as a teachers’ college in Texas’ oldest town, Nacogdoches. Today, it has grown into a regional institution comprising six colleges — business, education, fine arts, forestry and agriculture, liberal and applied arts, and sciences and mathematics. Accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, SFA enrolls approximately 11,000 students while providing the academic breadth of a state university with the personalized attention of a private school. The main campus encompasses 421 acres that include 37 academic facilities, nine residence halls, and 68 acres of recreational trails that wind through its six gardens. The university offers more than 80 bachelor’s degrees, more than 40 master’s degrees and four doctoral degrees covering more than 120 areas of study. Learn more at the SFA website.