By Steve Gilliam, University Relations
Contact: (336) 334-5371
Posted 5-14-09
GREENSBORO, N.C. – James Roderick (Rod) Wyatt will serve as interim athletics director at UNCG while a national search is conducted to find a successor for Nelson E. Bobb, who has resigned the position effective June 30.
The appointment was announced by Chancellor Linda P. Brady, who said that Wyatt, 49, has nearly 20 years of experience in athletics administration – much of it at UNCG. He will direct UNCG’s athletics operations until a new director is on board. While Brady has not set a timetable for the search, she hopes to have the position filled before the start of classes on Aug. 24.
“Rod Wyatt knows all about the operations of the UNCG Department of Athletics and I am happy that he has accepted this interim assignment,” said Brady. “The department will be in good hands, and will be in good order when a new athletics director takes over.”
Wyatt assumed his current UNCG position as associate director of athletics for student welfare in May 2003, and has been a part of the UNCG athletic administration in various roles for most of his career (1987-96 and 2001-present).
His current duties include day-to-day management of the academic enhancement program, compliance services, academic compliance services, sports medicine and athletic training services, the strength and conditioning program, and serving as the sport administrator for the baseball and men’s and women’s golf programs. He also serves in an ex-officio capacity on the Chancellors Advisory Committee for Intercollegiate Athletics and the Faculty Senate Committee on
Intercollegiate Athletics. Before his current assignment, he was the associate director of athletics for public affairs.
On a national level, Wyatt is a member of an NCAA certification team. He recently served as a member of the NCAA Division I Committee on Academic Performance (CAP), which is charged with developing and implementing the Academic Progress Program for Division I student-athletes. Earlier, he served for four years on the Division I Initial Eligibility Core Course Waivers Committee, which reviews initial eligibility waivers related to the NCAA Clearinghouse. He also served NACDA as a faculty member at the first Academic Reform Institute, May-June of 2007, for support services across the United States.
On the state level, Wyatt has served on the UNC Board of Governor’s Athletics Report Review Committee. He has served in numerous advisory roles with the president’s office regarding system-wide academic benchmarks, using retention and graduation rates for all students attending UNC system institutions. He has also provided insight and guidance on how to integrate the NCAA APR data into the system’s athletics reporting database.
Wyatt, who is currently working on his doctorate, received a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology from Atlantic Christian College (now Barton College) in 1982 and Master of Science degree in sports coaching from the United States Sports Academy in 1987.
