Kennesaw State University Athletic Director Vaughn Williams is headed north after accepting the senior associate athletic director position at Boston College on July 11.
The announcement was made by BC Director of Athletics Martin Jarmond, who confirmed that Williams would be leaving KSU after six years of service. This decision marks a return to the Chestnut Hill campus for Williams, who served as BC’s assistant athletic director for operations and facilities between 1998 and 2004.
Since 2011, Williams has overseen remarkable growth within the athletic programs, including the highly successful launch of a Division I football team and the signing of a long-term apparel deal with Adidas. During his time with the Owls, KSU’s competitive sports teams captured a combined 20 conference championships and 23 NCAA postseason appearances.
“I want to thank Kennesaw State University for the opportunity to lead Owl Athletics over the last six years,” Williams said. “The community embraced my family and me with open arms, and we forged relationships that will last forever.”
The admirable achievements fulfilled by KSU athletics under Williams weren’t just limited to the field. Within the local community, Williams helped build new relationships between the university and various business leaders and corporations. An increase in private donors and corporate partnerships that have helped fund student-athlete scholarships and facilities improvements are the direct results. Most recently, Williams helped facilitate a football game that will be hosted by the Owls at SunTrust Park in 2018, the first football game to be held in the new stadium.
KSU’s 400 student-athletes were also successful in the classroom under Williams, consistently scoring near a 3.0 cumulative GPA. Many sports programs have received national recognition for their academic efforts over the past few years. For his accomplishments, Williams was named the 2016-2017 Under Armour Athletics Director of the Year.
“Vaughn’s efforts on behalf of Kennesaw State University athletics have been nothing short of remarkable,” said Kennesaw State University President Sam Olens. “He has been instrumental in taking the program to the next level and has been a tireless leader and booster for our coaches, student-athletes and the entire university. We wish him great success in his new role.”
The last day of Williams’ tenure is set for July 28. Olens announced Friday that Matt Griffin will serve as the interim director of athletics.
Griffin has spent the last two years as the Owls’ assistant athletics director for internal operations. Two years prior to that, he served as director of athletics at Southern Polytechnic State University before the consolidation with KSU.
“I am grateful to serve as the interim director of athletics at Kennesaw State University,” said Griffin. “I want to thank President Olens for this opportunity, and I look forward to working with our coaches, staff and student-athletes.”
