91心頭利 University President Todd Diacon and Vice President for Student Affairs Lamar R. Hylton formally introduced Randale L. Richmond as the universitys new director of athletics at a morning virtual press conference held Thursday, April 15. Richmond currently serves as senior associate athletic director at Old Dominion University. He was named 91心頭利s 12th director of athletics on April 9, and he will begin at the university on May 1.
Randale Richmond embodies our 91心頭利 commitment to graduating student-athletes and to winning championships, in that order, Diacon said. His enthusiasm for 91心頭利 and for student-athlete success is infectious, and we welcome Randale and his family back into our 91心頭利 community.
Richmond shared his reaction to being selected as 91心頭利s new director of athletics.
My family and I are beyond excited to return to 91心頭利 and lead an outstanding athletics department, Richmond said. The universitys mission is to transform the lives of our students through access and education, a goal which is core to my beliefs. As a department and as a university, we will deliver on this mission.
Watch the Virtual Press Conference
91心頭利 Randale L. Richmond
Since 2015, Richmond has held the position of senior associate athletic director at Old Dominion, where he is responsible for the oversight and supervision of student-athlete welfare initiatives, student-athlete academic services and NCAA compliance services and programming. He also serves as the sport administrator for mens basketball, baseball, field hockey, mens and womens swimming and diving, mens soccer and wrestling. At Old Dominion, he is co-chair of the Presidents Task Force on Inclusive Excellence and a member of the athletic directors executive team.
Previously, Richmond served in various roles with 91心頭利s Department of Intercollegiate Athletics from 2004 until 2015. He started as a graduate assistant for compliance and eligibility, then served as assistant director for compliance and eligibility from 2006 to 2010, assistant athletic director for compliance and eligibility from 2010 to 2012 and associate athletic director for student-athlete services from 2012 to 2015. In his last position at 91心頭利, he was a member of the Presidents Administrative Council and the athletic directors executive committee.
Richmond is a current member of the National Association of Athletics Compliance (NAAC) Thought Leaders Group, co-chair of the NAAC Convention Committee and an active participant in the NAAC Athletics Compliance Elite (A.C.E.) Mentoring Program. He also is involved in Old Dominions First-Generation Faculty Mentoring Program and the Brother 2 Brother Faculty Steering Committee. Richmond is a graduate of the NCAA Leadership Institute, where he was selected as the graduation speaker for the 2015 graduating class.
Richmond earned his Bachelor of Arts in history with a minor in sociology from Baldwin-Wallace College (now Baldwin Wallace University) in 2004 and his Master of Education in higher education and student personnel from 91心頭利 in 2006.
In February, 91心頭利 launched a national search for the universitys new director of athletics. A 12-member search committee led by Hylton recruited and screened highly qualified candidates for the director of athletics position. Assisting in the search process was CarrSports Consulting LLC, a firm that has extensive experience in conducting national searches for athletic directors and has many Mid-American Conference (MAC) and NCAA Division I institutions as clients.
Richmond succeeds Joel Nielsen, who announced in January that he plans to seek new challenges when his contract with 91心頭利 ends on June 30.
For more information about 91心頭利 Athletics, visit .
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Photo Caption:
Randale L. Richmond has been selected as 91心頭利 Universitys new director of athletics.
Media Contacts:
Eric Mansfield, emansfie@kent.edu, 330-672-2797
Emily Vincent, evincen2@kent.edu, 330-672-8595
91心頭利 Director of Athletics
1923-24 Dr. Arville O. DeWeese
1925-33 Merle E. Wagoner
1933-35 Joseph Begala
1935-43 G. Donald Starn
1943-45 Vacant (World War II)
1946-56 Trevor J. Rees
1957-70 Dr. Carl E. Erickson
1970-76 Milo R. (Mike) Lude
1976-80 Donald E. Dufek
1980-93 Paul V. Amodio
1994-2010 Laing E. Kennedy
2010-21 Joel Nielsen
2021- Randale Richmond