In this episode Russ Rogers discusses his transition from a Division I background as a student-athlete to the world of Division III as a Director of Athletics. Russ talks about the growth of Stevens’ program and also discusses changes he’s seen in Division III over the course of his career.
The 2016-17 school year marks Russell Rogers’ 17th as the Director of Physical Education, Athletics, and Recreation at Stevens Institute of Technology, since taking over the department in July of 2000.
In that time, Rogers has spearheaded a period of rapid growth and development including the transition into the Empire 8 Conference from the Skyline Conference. This move positioned Stevens alongside some of the most elite athletic programs in the country, culminating with the school’s first team NCAA National Championship in 2015.
With the growth of the department, Rogers’ tenure has also seen a variety of facility improvements including the construction of the DeBaun Athletic Complex, an artificial turf field complex which serves as home to the soccer, lacrosse, field hockey and baseball teams. The facility replaced the existing grass field in the fall of 2001 before a state-of-the-art Field Turf system was installed in 2000, and then re-done in 2014.
Rogers’ career at Stevens began in 1995 when he was named the Director of Campus Recreation and head men’s tennis coach. In 1998, Rogers was promoted to the position of Assistant Athletic Director and Sports Information Director before being named head of the department in 2000.
Rogers’ athletic administrative career began at Loyola College where he served as the Assistant Director of Recreation, before accepting the position of Assistant Director of Athletics for Intramurals and Recreation Sports at Roger Williams University.
A native of Waynesville, N.C., Rogers earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Health and Sport Science from Wake Forest University while competing as a member of the Demon Deacon men’s tennis team. Rogers later earned his master’s degree in Physical Education, Exercise, and Sports Science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where he served as a graduate assistant in the Tar Heel Intramural and Recreation program.
[Courtesy: Stevens Tech website]
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