FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Williams Takes Reigns at Bentley.
WALTHAM, Mass. – Vaughn Williams, senior associate athletics director at Boston College, has been named the Director of Athletics at Bentley University, Vice President for Student Affairs J. Andrew Shepardson announced Monday morning in an email to the Bentley community. Williams will begin his new role in mid-September.
Williams, a University of Massachusetts graduate who brings 27 years of extensive athletic administration leadership with him, becomes only the third athletics director in the university's history and follows Robert DeFelice, who has led Bentley athletics since 1991. DeFelice will remain at Bentley as baseball coach.
As athletics director, Williams will lead a program featuring 23 varsity sports and offering a competitive experience for more than 500 Bentley student-athletes.
"Today begins a new era for Bentley University Athletics," said Dr. Shepardson, who led a year-long strategic review of Bentley Athletics and the search that led to Williams' hiring. "Bentley's vision for athletics is to boldly pursue excellence in competition while building pride and tradition for our entire community, and Vaughn Williams is the leader to help us achieve that vision. I am excited to partner with Vaughn in the continued development of our student-athletes as leaders inside and outside the classroom."
At Bentley, Williams will oversee a program that recently completed a new strategic plan, based on input from across the university, which sets out the mission, vision and values for Bentley Athletics for the next five years.
"I want to thank Vice President Shepardson for entrusting me with the opportunity to lead Bentley athletics into the future," said Williams.
"This is a tremendous opportunity in an unprecedented time to build on the university's commitment to providing student-athletes with an experience that leads them to life-long success," continued the new athletics director. "I'm looking forward to serving Bentley student-athletes and helping them to be a force in everything they do, on and off the playing fields."
Williams, 51, has been the senior associate athletic director of administration at BC since 2017, following six years as the director of athletics at Kennesaw State University. It was his second tour of duty with the Eagles, where he was the assistant athletic director for operations and facilities from 1998-2004.
His duties since his return to Chestnut Hill included serving as the sports administrator for multiple sports (including football and men's ice hockey). His many responsibilities also included overseeing the marketing and fan engagement team, campus recreation, intramurals and club sports, capital projects and the event and facility management team.
As the AD at Kennesaw from 2011-17, Williams led a department that included 18 athletic programs, 415 student-athletes and 105 staff members. He spearheaded the start-up of the Owls' football program, which debuted in 2015, and also helped add women's lacrosse to the list of offerings. The student-athletes' overall GPA was 3.0 or better for eight of 11 semesters, with over 60 percent of the student-athletes earning at least a 3.0 GPA.
In 2017, Williams was recognized by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) Football Championship Subdivision Under Armour Athletics Director of the Year award. He has served on the NCAA Division I Council, the NCAA Legislative Committee, the NCAA Football Rules Committee and the NIT Men's Basketball Selection Committee, and is currently a member of the Hockey East Executive Committee.
Prior to Kennesaw, Williams was an associate athletics director at the University of Connecticut from 2004-11. He has also been an associate athletics director for business affairs/operations at the University of Toledo (1996-98) and the director of finance at the University of Utah (1994-96).
Williams received his Bachelor of Science degree in sports management in 1992 from UMass, where he played football, and his Master of Arts from BC's Woods College of Advancing Studies in December 2002.
Williams and his wife, Eileen, reside in Needham with their children Aidan (13), Lacey (11) and Austin (11).
WHAT THEY ARE SAYING:
Patrick Kraft, Director of Athletics, Boston College: "I'm very excited for Vaughn, Eileen and the kids. I think this is something that he is really, really excited and energized about. I know that Bentley is getting an administrator who truly understands the student-athlete experience and how to not only to grow the department and help them on the field and the court, but also the other things that are so important, the classroom, life, dealing with life issues, and what we say is the holistic approach to the student athlete's life. That's something I have valued in him in my short time here. I am disappointed that he's leaving, I will be honest. It's a little bittersweet because he's helped me and his wife Eileen has helped my wife Betsy in our transition the last two months Like I said I am very happy for him and he will always be a valued member of the BC community."
Martin Jarmond, Director of Athletics, UCLA: "Vaughn Williams is a man of great integrity, faith and conviction. His ability to connect with people and lead will be a major asset to the Bentley University community. I'm very happy for Vaughn, Eileen and their family as they begin this new journey."
Coach DeFelice: "I've known Vaughn for over 15 years and have followed his career during that timeframe. Success has followed him at every stop and will continue to do so at Bentley. Bentley University could not have selected a better person for this position. His experience and knowledge speak volumes, but his greatest attributes are his people skills and integrity."
Julie Ruppert, Commissioner, Northeast-10 Conference: "I am thrilled to welcome Vaughn and his family to the NE10. Years ago, Vaughn expressed to me his dream to one day be at the helm of the Bentley Athletics Department. Since that time, Vaughn has accumulated a tremendous amount of industry experience that has positioned him to now step seamlessly into his dream job. And while he has big shoes to fill as Coach Bob DeFelice vacates his AD role, Vaughn will honor that legacy by leading Bentley boldly forward into its next chapter. I know he'll bring the same enthusiastic and engaging manner to the Bentley community that I've witnessed over the past 25 years. I am looking forward to working with Vaughn to propel the Falcons and the Conference to new heights. Bentley, the NE10 and Division II are fortunate to be gaining such a talented and recognized leader in intercollegiate athletics. Welcome aboard, Vaughn!
Jerry York, Hockey Coach, Boston College: "Vaughn's hiring is a home run for Bentley. (Hockey coach) Ryan Soderquist and Bobby DeFelice will be extremely happy with him. He is very personable, very honest and has an unbelievable work ethic. He spends a lot of time with the coaches. I love the positive vibes he has. As a former college athlete himself, he has a good feel for what the coaches need and what the players are going through. I can't be more excited about Vaughn's selection as AD."
-Release provided by Bentley athletic communications-
ABOUT THE NE10
Beginning its 40th anniversary season, the NE10 is an association of 14 diverse institutions serving student-athletes across 24 NCAA Division II sports. Together we build brilliant futures by embracing the journey of every student-athlete.
Each year, 4,500 of those student-athletes compete in conference championships in 24 sports, making the NE10 the largest DII conference in the country in terms of sport sponsorship. Leading the way in the classroom, on the field and within the community, the NE10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.
