March 1, 2012

LEXINGTON, Ky. – University of Kentucky Athletics Director Mitch Barnhart recently announced a restructuring plan of the UK Athletics department, which includes the promotion of Sandy Bell, Marc Hill and DeWayne Peevy to executive associate director of athletics.

The restructuring fills the roles vacated over the last year and a half when former deputy director of athletics Rob Mullens accepted the athletics director position at Oregon in 2010, along with Mark Coyle, who followed Mullens at UK as deputy director of athletics before accepting the athletics director position at Boise State. It also fills the needs due to the departure of former senior associate director of athletics for internal operations/senior women’s administrator Lisa Peterson when she accepted the senior associate director of athletics position at Oregon.

“I’m excited that we were able to give an opportunity for Sandy Bell, Marc Hill and DeWayne Peevy to take on the roles of executive associate director of athletics,” Barnhart said. “They are very deserving and bring a variety of experience in the world of college athletics. The initial reaction to an opening is generally to go outside of the current structure of your department. We are very fortunate at UK to have a very talented group of people working here within our family.”

Bell will oversee academics and tutorial services, athletic training, compliance, ticket operations and serve as the senior women’s administrator. Hill will oversee business operations, equipment, event management, facilities & operations, strength & conditioning and serve as the baseball administrator. Peevy will oversee development, marketing, media relations, publications, sports video and serve as the men’s basketball administrator.

Six former administrators have developed under Barnhart and gone on to athletics director jobs at Bowl Championship Series schools. Barnhart is pleased to present the opportunity for advancement to employees within UK Athletics.

“I’m proud of the staff we’ve assembled over the years as several members of our staff have become athletics directors and hold high ranking positions at other schools,” Barnhart said. “We have structurally changed our senior leadership positions based on the assembled group of talent we currently have on our staff. I want to reward those that have laid the foundation for our success. We have good people here and it allows us to also be good stewards of our finances within our budget structure.”

In addition to the promotion of Bell, Hill and Peevy, several members of the athletics department will take on new responsibilities to complete the restructuring plan. The following is a full list of UK Athletics administrators with 2012-13 day-to-day sports administrative responsibilities (in parentheses):

• Executive Associate AD for Student Services – Sandy Bell (senior women’s administrator)
• Executive Associate AD for Internal Operations – Marc Hill (baseball)
• Executive Associate AD for External Operations – DeWayne Peevy (men’s basketball)
• Senior Associate AD for Development – Candice Chaffin (women’s basketball)
• Senior Associate AD for Facilities and Operations – Russ Pear (men’s & women’s tennis)
• Senior Associate AD for Corporate/University Relations – Jason Schlafer (m/w swimming & diving)
• Associate AD for Academics – Bob Bradley
• Associate AD for Administration – John Cropp (football, softball)
• Associate AD for Development – Katie Eiserman (volleyball)
• Associate AD for Finance – Melissa Gleason (women’s soccer)
• Associate AD for Event Operations and Championships – Kevin Saal (men’s soccer)
• Associate AD for Ticket Operations – Joe Sharpe (rifle, women’s golf)
• Associate AD for Basketball Operations – Chris Woolard
• Assistant AD for Compliance – John Butler (men’s golf)
• Assistant AD for Facilities – Scott Clark
• Assistant AD for Women’s Basketball – Ukari Figgs
• Assistant AD for Academics and Eligibility – Heather McAtee (gymnastics)
• Assistant AD for Marketing and Licensing – Nathan Schwake
• Assistant AD for Event Management – Rodney Stiles
• Stephanie Tracey-Simmons (m/w indoor & outdoor track and m/w cross country)