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Athletics finds new leadership

The University of La Verne's new athletic director, Chris Ragsdale, enjoys the welcoming weather of Southern California. Before coming to the University, he worked as athletic director for Elmhurst College in Illinois for 12 years. Ragsdale brings with him many years of working in Division III Intercollegiate Athletics. He encourages students to become involved in athletics; he says it teaches student athletes discipline and leadership skills. / photo by Reina Santa Cruz
The University of La Verne’s new athletic director, Chris Ragsdale, enjoys the welcoming weather of Southern California. Before coming to the University, he worked as athletic director for Elmhurst College in Illinois for 12 years. Ragsdale brings with him many years of working in Division III Intercollegiate Athletics. He encourages students to become involved in athletics; he says it teaches student athletes discipline and leadership skills. / photo by Reina Santa Cruz

by Chrissy Zehrbach
Sports Editor

Chris Ragsdale has taken the reigns as the new athletic director at the University of La Verne.

Ragsdale replaces Jim Paschal, who served in the position for 12 years, and was instrumental in bringing aquatic sports to the University as well as establishing a national championship level of success.

“The athletic program here at the University of La Verne has a strong tradition of success and certainly my predecessors had a lot to do with that,” Ragsdale said. “I think the challenge in coming to the University of La Verne and any program like that is looking for ways in which I can now build on that tradition.”

Ragsdale does not plan on turning the athletic program upside down and making drastic changes in the program right away. He plans to get a better feel for the program’s staff, athletes, framework and organization before taking any action.

“As I understand those things better I’ll be able to better evaluate the athletic program and the direction we need to move to continue this growth and the future success of the program,” he said.

Selected by an 11-member campus committee, Ragsdale became La Verne’s athletic director effective July 7, 2003, leaving that same position at Elmhurst College in Illinois where he has served since 1991.

At Elmhurst, Ragsdale played a big role in expanding its athletic program from 14 to 18 sports. At La Verne he will oversee a 20-sport program that encompasses 11 men’s sports and nine women’s sports.

“A key factor in Chris’ appointment is his successful service as an athletic director in NCAA, Division III and his active role in NCAA III activities,” said University President Stephen Morgan.

“Our athletic programs continue to compete well on the national level, and the experience and leadership that Chris brings to ULV will ensure that we continue our competitive tradition,” Morgan said.

Ragsdale also helped implement the construction of two new athletic facilities and a 10,000-square-foot fitness center at Elmhurst. That experience will be helpful as La Verne plans to expand and improve their facilities in the future.

“Right now there’s a lot of discussion about development of new facilities and renovation of facilities,” Ragsdale said. “That’s something that is very exciting to be a part of.”

Planning for the future of the athletic program was an attractive idea to Ragsdale and was a factor in his decision to come to ULV. Another factor was the ULV community.

“As I learned more about the University of La Verne, as I met both the student athletes and members of the coaching staff and faculty, I became increasingly impressed with the commitment and dedication that both staff and student athletes have for the athletic program,” Ragsdale said. “As I looked at that, I thought it would be a group of people that I would very much enjoy working with.”

Ragsdale also said that he was looking for new challenges and had a desire to move.

This is not the first time Ragsdale has changed institutions. He began his career in intercollegiate athletics as an assistant men’s basketball coach at Defiance College in Ohio.

“Basketball has been the sport where I’ve had the greatest interest and where I’ve had the greatest amount of involvement,” Ragsdale said.

Ragsdale was the head men’s basketball coach at Tarkio College in Missouri from 1977-1980 and at Alma College in Michigan, where he also coached men’s golf, from 1980-1986. From 1986-1991, he coached men’s basketball as well as baseball at Nazareth College in Michigan.

“I enjoyed, with each particular experience, the challenges and the experiences and the approach to athletics and education and that balance that’s maintained at Division III institutions,” he said.

When Ragsdale began his tenure as athletic director at Elmhurst, he was also coaching men’s golf.

Coaching, however, became too much of a time commitment and he stopped coaching in 1996 so he could focus on directing the athletic program.

“I believe that one of the important pieces that I do is to be at our home athletic events,” he said.

Ragsdale earned a bachelor’s degree in health, physical education, recreation in 1972 and a master’s in the same field in 1976 at Bowling Green State University in Ohio.

Having spent his life in the Midwest, Ragsdale said he and his family were eager to move to Southern California.

“That opportunity to move some place totally foreign and different was exciting,” he said.

Ragsdale and his wife, Cindy, have been married for 22 years.

They have a daughter, Jennifer, who is currently a sophomore studying psychology at Bowling Green State University.

Chrissy Zehrbach, Editor in Chief
Chrissy Zehrbach
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