MORROW, Ga. - Following an extensive national search, Clayton State University has announced Ryan Erlacher as the fourth Director of Athletics in the program's 29-year history. Erlacher will officially start September 17, 2018.
 
"Ryan Erlacher brings a wealth of experience to the university," says Dr. Thomas J. Hynes, President of Clayton State University. "We look forward to his leadership in our efforts to continue to grow and strengthen our athletics program." 
 
"I want to also publicly thank Merlene Aitken-Smith who served as interim director of Athletics and has done an excellent job these last few months. And many thanks to those who served on the search committee, which was led by Dr. Stephen Schultheis."
 
Erlacher will head a championship athletics program that has rapidly raised the university's profile for academic achievement among its student-athletes. He will be responsible for developing and implementing a strategic vision for the athletics program, as well as providing leadership to staff and student athletes. He will also manage the budget and compliance policy. Erlacher replaces former Director of Athletics Tim Duncan, who led Clayton State Athletics for the last four years.
 
"While Ryan's energy and enthusiasm clearly stood out, it was his ability to relate with the multiple facets of work that an Athletic Director will need to be involved in that impressed us," said Dr. Stephen Schultheis, Associate Vice President of Enrollment Management and chair of the athletic director search committee.
 
Erlacher, a Melbourne, Florida native, comes to Clayton State with a proven record of success in collegiate athletics at fellow Peach Belt Conference member Flagler College.
 
At Flagler, he oversaw sports information, sports medicine, sports performance, game operations, marketing and promotions and academic enhancement, in addition to his core responsibilities as the head of NCAA Compliance.
 
In his eight years with the Saints, most recently as the senior associate athletic director for internal operations, he approved and executed game contracts, scholarships, purchases and expense reports for the 16-sport program as well as oversaw a number of facility enhancement and renovation projects.
 
He assisted with athletics development by building upon alumni support, increased branding and merchandise sales, licensing, booster club involvement and assisted with corporate partner relationships and a number of other avenues.
 
He also developed marketing and promotional events that generated record-setting attendance rates and sales, including a 10-percent annual increase in ticket sales as well as a 50-percent growth in concession revenues. As a result, Flagler Athletics broke single game and annual attendance records for baseball, softball, soccer and volleyball, including a 1,000-plus crowd for a 2015 men's soccer game.
 
A champion of academics, Erlacher has made a remarkable impact on that institution, improving the average student-athlete grade point average from 2.87 when he first arrived to 3.0 or better for the fourth consecutive year and seventh straight semester.
 
From 2014-17, Flagler Athletics earned the Presidents' Award for Academic Excellence as a result of its sterling NCAA Academic Success Rate (ASR). Since coming in at 92 percent among the nation's top performers in 2014-15, that number has climbed to 94 percent in the 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons.
 
Erlacher's leadership has garnered the Saints national recognition and several awards, including the NCAA Sportsmanship Award and the NCAA Community Engagement Award.
 
His nomination of Jud Damon, Flagler's Director of Athletics, for the NCAA Bob Frederick Sportsmanship Award led to Damon being bestowed the honor in 2013, which is given to one coach or administrator in all of NCAA Division I, II or III who embodies the spirit of sportsmanship and has a demonstrated history of leading by example and promoting positive fan involvement.
 
Prior to Flagler, Erlacher served as the associate athletics director for compliance at Newman University in Wichita, Kansas. While there he had direct oversight of the NCAA compliance program for 16 sports and was involved in monitoring a $3.3 million Athletics budget. 
 
From 2007-10 he was an assistant athletic director at Northwood University in West Palm Beach, Florida. While there, he headed up compliance operations and also served as the sports information director for a six-month span.
 
Erlacher also served previous stints as an athletics assistant for Division I Florida State from January 2006 to July 2007 and fellow DI Stetson from 2004-05. With the latter, he was the Director of Basketball Operations for the Hatters.
 
A graduate of Flagler, Erlacher earned his Bachelor of Arts in Sport Management in 2004 and his Master of Science in Sport Administration from Florida State in 2007. He and his wife Kellie are the parents of a son, Austin (4), and a daughter, Isabelle (3).
 
"My family and I are thrilled to be joining Clayton State University," said Erlacher. "I am grateful for the opportunity and honored to lead this athletics program. I look forward to serving Clayton State University, our coaches, staff, community, and most importantly, our student-athletes. Our commitment to student-athlete welfare and their overall experience will always be priority number one."
 
"Lastly I would like to thank President Hynes and the entire selection committee for this tremendous opportunity and for having the confidence in me to serve as the next Director of Athletics at Clayton State."
 
What Others Are Saying About Ryan  Erlacher
Jud Damon, Flagler College Director of Athletics
Since 2011, Ryan has been involved with nearly every aspect of athletics administration at Flagler College – and has done well with all of them. He is well-prepared to lead the Clayton State athletics program. Although Flagler won't be the same without him, we are pleased that our fellow PBC member institution has recognized his talents and we wish Ryan and Clayton State great success!
 
Bo Clark, Longtime Flagler Men's Basketball Coach
Ryan will do a phenomenal job at Clayton. I think it's a great fit. He is very humble, blue-collar and very passionate about his teams. Ryan is extremely organized and will be sensational with all of Clayton's sports. The coaches will love Ryan Erlacher and what he stands for--integrity, honesty and class. Clayton hired the 'Billy Donovan of athletic directors'. His enthusiasm, professionalism and class in everything he does will be contagious for Laker nation. Ryan has excellent leadership skills and tremendous people skills, but most importantly, is an outstanding person. I am happy for him and am always proud of my guys.
 
Justin Kume, Associate Director of Athletics at The Ohio State University
Ryan is a great friend and excellent administrator. His combination of experience as a student-athlete, coach and administrator gives him great perspective as he leads Clayton State into the future. I have no doubt he will be successful, and my family wishes him, Kellie and their children nothing but the best as they join the Laker community.
 
Abe Osheyack, Assistant Athletic Director at Keene State College
Clayton State has made an outstanding hire by choosing Ryan. I've known him for over 10 years and he has the experience, knowledge and smarts to lead CSU to the next level.  He's worked a long time for this opportunity and I'm confident that CSU will benefit from this hire. Congratulations, Lakers!
 
Vic Trilli, Director of Athletics at Newman University
Clayton State University just hit a home run with the hiring of Ryan Erlacher as your new Director of Athletics. Ryan is extremely organized, very patient and always energized about the student athletes and his coaches. He is also very personal and has served in just about every capacity within NCAA DII Athletic Departments.
 
Personally, I am excited for Ryan and his family and I know that Clayton State will be super excited once they learn who he is and what he brings to the table. Congrats to Clayton on a job well done!
 
Ryan will make you proud - I promise!
 
TRANSACTIONS
Clayton State announced that Ryan Erlacher has been named as the program's fourth permanent Director of Athletics.