Courtesy of Ashland University Public Relations
ASHLAND, Ohio – Ashland University has
named Al King as its director of athletics, effective immediately.
King had assumed the role of interim director of athletics on July
7, 2014, following the retirement of former director Bill
Goldring.
“I am very excited to appoint Al as the director of
athletics. He has proven his leadership in this role and I have
every confidence that he will continue to do great things for the
Ashland University athletic program and our
student-athletes,” said Sue Heimann, vice president of
student affairs and dean of students. “I am blessed to have
the opportunity to work with him.”
King, who is in his 22nd year at AU, enthusiastically
accepted the promotion to director.
“I am excited and humbled because it is a big responsibility
and a big challenge. There is a strong staff in place here and a
lot of support from across campus,” King said. “I am
thankful for the opportunity that the university has given me and I
thank (Interim President) Dr. (William) Crothers and Sue Heimann
for showing this confidence in me.”
Before being named interim director of athletics, King served as
assistant athletic director for media relations and handled all the
publicity for a 19-sport athletic program. He has served as the
media host for NCAA championships in men’s and women’s
swimming and diving, men’s and women’s cross country,
softball and wrestling. He is a member of the Harlon Hill
Committee, which helps select the NCAA Division II football player
of the year, and he’s the Midwest Regional coordinator for
the Daktronics men’s basketball team. He is also a member of
the regional ranking committee for the College Baseball Writers of
America.
While at Ashland, King has also been involved in game event
management. He is a member of the university’s Hall of Fame
committee. He works closely with the GLIAC office on a number
projects and has been responsible for compiling and submitting the
nomination forms for the annual Commissioner’s Awards and the
All-GLIAC Academic and All-Academic Excellence Teams. King also
handles all of AU’s nominations and publicity for the Capital
One Academic All-America program.
King came to Ashland in July of 1993 from IUP in Indiana, Pa.,
where he was the assistant sports information director for four
years. At IUP, he also served as the director of the IUP Athletic
Club, a marketing and fundraising arm of the athletic department.
King helped sell advertising packages for IUP’s Business
Scholarship campaign, which raised approximately $150,000 per year
for athletic scholarships. He was also involved in game management
and was responsible for coordinating all media that came to campus
to work athletic events.
King’s background includes stints as a sports writer with
two newspapers in western Pennsylvania – The Meadville
Tribune and The Indiana Gazette. With the Gazette, he covered all
Pittsburgh Steelers games home and away for four years and was a
member of the Pro Football Writers of America. He was a weekly
contributor to Steelers Digest and also wrote the annual NCAA
Division II men’s basketball preview for Basketball
Digest.
King is a 1982 graduate of Mansfield State College (Pa.). He
received his master’s degree from IUP in 1983.
Ashland University is a mid-sized, private university conveniently
located a short distance from Akron, Cleveland and Columbus, Ohio.
Ashland University (www.ashland.edu) values the individual
student and offers a unique educational experience that combines
the challenge of strong, applied academic programs with a faculty
and staff who build nurturing relationships with their
students.