By Sara Hollabaugh, Online Editor
Men’s basketball head coach Mike DeWitt will serve as the interim athletics director.
According to a campus-wide email from Chuck Stinemetz, provost, DeWitt will take over Ingles position in mid-May.
”Roger leaves big shoes to fill, but Mike’s stellar career with the Battling Bishops—as a student-athlete, a coach, and a leader in Division III athletics—makes him the ideal person to serve as interim director of athletics,” Stinemetz said.
Stinemetz added DeWitt’s experience at OWU, especially as the winningest men’s basketball coach at OWU will be beneficial to his new post.
“Mike has served as an associate athletics director since 2011 and was an assistant athletics director from 2004-11,” Stinemetz said in the email. “Furthermore, he has been a leader at the conference and national levels, serving on the NCAA Division III Great Lakes advisory committee from 2003-06, and he was on the NCAA Division III national committee from 2009-13, serving as committee chair during the 2012-13 season.”
Stinemetz also announced a committee that will search for the new athletics director, which he will chair.
“I will be joined by the following individuals: alumni Christie Allen, Kevin Hinkle, Bob Morrill; head coaches Kris Boey, Kirsta Cobb, Jay Martin, Cassie Cunningham; faculty Barbara MacLeod, David Eastman, Shala Hankison; admissions Ross Grippi; [and from] advancement, Colleen Garland.”
Stinemetz also said two students will join the committee but they have not been selected yet.
DeWitt said he was asked by Stinemetz to be interim director at a meeting after it was made known Ingle’s was leaving.
“I am honored to be asked by our administration to lead our department in this time of transition, and I am extremely fortunate to work with an outstanding group of coaches that will make this transition go as smoothly as possible,” DeWitt said.
DeWitt said he and Ingles will work closely before he leaves.
“Having been a part of the administrative staff over the years certainly will help me be aware of most of these issues as I serve in this role until a new Director of Athletics is hired,” DeWitt said.
DeWitt was not certain of Ingle’s official date of departure and when he will start as interim director.