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 Brad Hewitt
Past Athletic Directors |
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Dr. Brad Hewitt Dr. Bradley L. Hewitt has served as the Director of Intercollegiate Athletics at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville since August of 2002. Dr. Hewitt previously served 13 years in numerous positions at SIUE before stepping in as the seventh director of athletics in the school's history. Hewitt's charge was to regain SIUE's storied national success of the 70's and 80's (16 national championships) and expand that success across a broad-based athletic program. During his 5-year career, 37 Cougar teams have competed in their respective NCAA individual or team championships. Since taking over the program, Hewitt has helped elevate SIUE's previous best 131st place finish in the U.S. Sports Academy Directors' Cup to a 78th place finish in 2004, a 37th place finish in 2005, a 4th place finish in 2006, and an 11th place finish in 2007. For the 2006-07 seasons, the Cougars won both the prestigious Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) All-Sports Trophy and the Commissioner's Cup. The Cougars won the All-Sports Trophy with 141.5 points, the highest total points recorded in a single season since the award was conceived more than 25 years ago. The Commissioner's Cup is awarded to the program that produces the overall best finish in the league's seven "core" sports. SIUE posted top five finishes in six of the seven sports that count in the Commissioner's Cup standings, including conference titles in men's soccer and softball. Also considered are volleyball, men's and women's basketball, and baseball. The pinnacle of achievement this year was a national championship in Softball-SIUE's first national championship since May 1989. In 1994, Hewitt, in his role as assistant athletic director, served as the University's Venue Manager for the United States Olympic Festival-'94 track and field and wrestling events. Since 1994, Hewitt has held several positions at SIUE, including Acting Chief Executive Officer of the SIUE Foundation and Acting Vice Chancellor of University Relations (1998-2000), adjunct graduate professor in the Department of Kinesiology and Health Education (1996-2003), and Assistant Vice Chancellor for University Relations (1994-1998 and 2000-present). From 1995-1998 and 2000-2002, Hewitt was the internal and external liaison for the Vice Chancellor of University Relations, overseeing the operating units of Alumni Services; SIUE Foundation; Public Affairs; Photographic Services; and University Graphics, Publications, and Printing. Hewitt has a diverse background in intercollegiate athletics. Before coming to SIUE, he was the director of sports marketing and associate head football coach at Morningside College in Sioux City, Iowa; the recruiting coordinator and assistant football coach at Southern Illinois University Carbondale; and recruiting coordinator, track event manager, and assistant football coach at his alma mater The University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg, Missouri. Hewitt earned a bachelor's degree in Mathematics in 1981 from Central Missouri State as well as a master's degree in Athletic Administration in 1982. Hewitt completed his doctorate in Education at SIUC in 1994. Hewitt has been a highly-active member of the area community serving as a member of the board of directors for the St. Louis Sports Commission since 1999, a member of the board of directors for the Edwardsville-Glen Carbon Chamber of Commerce, a member of the Board of Governors for the Prairie State Games, and as a member of the State Games of America Board of Directors. He is presently serving in his second term as a member of the Edwardsville District 7 School Board. In 2006, Hewitt completed the executive management program at the Sports Management Institute, which provides specialized executive management programs for sports management professionals. The Sports Management Institute was developed in 1989 as a joint venture of the athletic departments and business administration schools of the University of Southern California, the University of Notre Dame, and the University of North Carolina. A member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals and the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education, Hewitt also has made leadership presentations several times for SIUE's Kimmel Leadership Center. Significant fundraising success (especially in facility development) has been a capstone of Hewitt's professional career. Since 2000 Hewitt was directly responsible for securing several multi-million dollar facility gifts and pledges ($10 million plus in total) for the University. These facilities gifts help build the 12,000 sq. ft. Birger Hall (SIUE's Foundation and Alumni Building), the 1,500 seat SimmonsCooper Baseball Complex, and the 6,000 sq. ft. SIUE softball stadium/clubhouse. He was a significant member of the SIUE Foundation team that saw exponential growth in the Foundation's annual giving campaign and endowment from 1995-2002. Since rejoining Cougar Athletics in 2002, he has focused on increasing the athletic endowment, doubling the number of endowed scholarships. Hewitt and his wife Kay (a professional educator) reside in Edwardsville. Their daughter Loren (22) is a 2007 graduate of SIUE and tennis alumnae, and their son Matthew (21) is a junior at the University of Illinois majoring in Mechanical Engineering. -siue cougars- |
