COMMERCE – Texas A&M University-Commerce director of athletics Tim McMurray has announced the hiring of an innovative and experienced executive for Lion Athletics, as Eric Coleman joined the department on December 6 as deputy director of athletics and chief operating officer.
 
Coleman comes to Commerce after five years at Florida Atlantic University and brings nearly 15 years of experience at the Division I level, highlighted by leadership roles with student-athlete success, academic affairs, and collaboration with athletics compliance. This Division I experience will be vital for the Lions as they progress towards NCAA Division I membership and the Southland Conference in July of 2022.
 
"Our Athletics Leadership Team has just added a Best in Class leader," McMurray said. "Eric's leadership acumen, authenticity, and appreciation for our student-athlete centered mission was evident from the beginning of our search process. Even in his transition, he has been a valuable asset and teammate to several of us, and I am confident he will serve our student-athletes, coaches, and staff at an elite level. We are fortunate to attract him to this reimagined role."  
 
Coleman's duties will include oversight of the Student-Athlete Performance Team – which encompasses all aspects of the student-athlete experience outside of their actual competitions. He will also provide leadership support to the areas of student-athlete well-being, strength and conditioning, student-athlete advisory council initiatives, and manage other appropriate department and campus relationships. He will also collaborate with the Thrower Student-Athlete Success Center leadership on programs and services which help guide and assist student-athletes in their academic endeavors.    Coleman will also serve as the department's primary liaison to University Counseling Center, Title IX office, University Police Department, Dean of Students office, and Student Rights and Responsibilities.
 
Additionally, he will serve as primary manager for the upcoming Intercollegiate Athletics Five-Year Division I Strategic Plan and manage the department's policies and procedures manual.  This will allow a more structured integration of NCAA Division I appropriate protocols focused on student-services.

"I'm extremely excited for the opportunity to join the Lion family - a team of faculty, staff and coaches dedicated to the overall success and development of their students," said Coleman. "From the moment I stepped on campus, I could feel the energy and knew A&M-Commerce was a special place. In this leadership role, I will be fully committed to leading a team of talented professionals who are committed to developing and maintaining programs and services that provide a Best in Class experience for all and aid in the smooth transition to Division I. I thank Tim McMurray for this opportunity and for putting his trust and faith in me to lead the overall day-to-day operations of our department."
 
Coleman served at Florida Atlantic since October 2016 and most recently served as senior associate athletic director for academics and student development, where he oversaw FAU student-athletes' academic success and was the sports supervisor for men's and women's basketball, and men's and women's soccer. He was elevated to that role in 2018 after serving as the Owls' associate director of athletics and director of the student-athlete center for academic excellence and sport supervisor for women's tennis, men's and women's golf, and as men's and women's soccer.
 
Under Coleman's guidance, FAU's Student-Athlete Center for Academic Excellence provided support for nearly 450 student-athletes, including first-generation college students as well as those with documented learning disabilities.

Coleman provided leadership, training and supervision for 10 full-time advisors, four full-time graduate interns and 50 part-time staff members who worked day-to-day supporting FAU student-athletes in various ways including: athletics, academic counseling, life skills, career preparations and mentorship.
 
Florida Atlantic student-athletes excelled in the classroom in Coleman's time with the Owls. FAU student-athletes posted 10 consecutive semesters with a 3.0 GPA or better. In 2020, FAU saw 14 of its 19 varsity teams earn a perfect eligibility score, including eight teams posting a perfect Academic Progress Rate (APR) score. That collective effort enabled the Owls to post a 992 APR for the 2018-19 year, which is the highest single-year score in the department's history. 
  
Coleman and his staff also cultivated an environment which supports community service. FAU earned the Conference USA SAAC Cup and has performed nearly 5,000 hours of community service in each of the last two academic years (2018-20). 

Prior to FAU, Coleman was a member of the student services staff at Fresno State, where he was responsible for the management and oversight of the academic and student services operation for all student-athletes. During the 2014-15 academic year, Fresno State's student-athlete population posted a 3.12 GPA, which was the highest-ever yearly score on record. Fourteen Fresno State sport programs posted team GPAs of over 3.0, which was the first time that many programs tallied above a 3.0 since 2006-07. Additionally, 60% of student-athletes posted GPAs of 3.0 or higher for the spring 2015 semester.
 
Coleman has also served on the academic staff at the University of Iowa (2012-14), as coordinator of multicultural development at the University of Akron (2011-12), as coordinator of academic advising at UCF (2009-11), and coordinator of NCAA CHAMPS/Life skills at Akron (2007-09). 
 
Coleman's career in collegiate athletics began as a football student-athlete at the University of Minnesota-Morris from 1997 to 2001, where he was a team captain, earned Academic All-Northern Sun Conference honors, dean's list honoree, and Student-Athlete Advisory Council member. He also earned his Master of Arts from Minnesota State University in 2004.