Austin Peay is moving quickly to fill its vacant AD position. Sources have told CollegeAD that three Austin Peay AD candidates will travel to Clarksville for on-campus interviews. Austin Peay’s search to find Ryan Ivey’s replacement is being led by Collegiate Sports Associates. Ivey stepped down at the end of May after being named the new athletic director at SFA.
Marcus Blossom: Boston College Senior Associate Athletics Director – Business & Administration
Blossom has been a part of the Boston College staff since 2014 first serving as BC’s Associate Athletics Director for Business and Administration before being promoted to Senior Associate. In addition to his business duties, Blossom also oversees the Eagles men’s basketball program. Blossom arrived at Boston College after spending two-years at Providence College overseeing the Friars financial management of the athletics department’s operating budget. During his career, Blossom has had stops at Brown University, the NCAA, and Central Michigan. Blossom completed his undergraduate studies at Northeastern University where he also played basketball. He also holds a Master’s Degree in Sport Management from West Virginia University and an MBA from the University of Rhode Island.
Gerald Harrison: Duke Senior Associate Director of Athletics/Internal Affairs
Harrison has called Duke home since arriving on campus in 2008 where he first served as an Assistant Director of Athletics for Football Development. A graduate of Tennessee, Harrison, holds a communications degree. His current duties at Duke include oversight of the football and fencing programs as well as overseeing Duke’s Athletics Integrative Performance Excellence Initiative. Additionally, the South Carolina native serves on the NCAA Fencing Oversight Committee, the ACC Committee on Equity and the Duke University Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Board.
Adam Walker: Memphis Senior Associate Athletic Director, Development
Dr. Adam G. Walker is in his second go-around at Memphis having rejoined the athletic department in 2014 after spending nearly two-years as the Senior Director of Development for the Fogelman College of Business & Economics at the University of Memphis. Walker’s first stint in atheltics began in 2011 where Walker served as the Tigers Director of Major Gifts within the Tiger Scholarship Fund. Walker first came to Memphis after serving as an Associate Director for Athletics at UCF. The Ulysses, Kansas native holds both undergraduate and graduates degrees from Kansas State. While in school Walker was a member of the K-State track and field team. He completed his Doctor of Education from the University of Memphis in 2013.
The three Austin Peay AD Candidates are expected to be on campus Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. Lisa Varytimidis has been serving as the school’s interim AD.