Axe ’Em, Jacks!
NACOGDOCHES, Texas — Gina Oglesbee, Stephen F. Austin State University interim president, has named Loree McCary interim director of athletics effective March 11, the university announced Monday.
“Loree’s extensive experience and proven leadership within SFA Athletics ideally position her to lead during this vital transition,” Oglesbee said in an email to campus Monday. “We eagerly anticipate Loree's interim leadership, focusing on continuing our legacy of excellence and community spirit within our athletic programs.”
McCary steps in for Ryan Ivey, who announced Feb. 23 that he was named vice president and director of athletics at Louisiana Tech University. His last day with SFA will be March 10.
“I’d like to thank Gina and the university for their confidence in me leading the Lumberjacks athletic department in this time of transition,” McCary said. “Taking over for Ryan is no small task, and it will definitely be a team effort with all the athletic department staff and coaches. I’m humbled to be given this opportunity. This athletic trainer never really imagined that this would be possible.”
McCary has served as SFA’s senior associate athletics director for administration and senior woman administrator since 2007. Her tenure at SFA began in 1990, when she arrived as an athletics trainer for all women’s sports, but specifically women’s basketball, and has seen increased responsibilities over the years, culminating in her current role. Her 34 years at SFA make her the second-longest tenured employee in SFA’s Department of Athletics.
Previously, McCary served as a graduate assistant at the University of Florida, where she was the athletic trainer for volleyball. The Girard, Kansas, native is a 1988 graduate of Kansas State University, where she served three years as an athletic training student. She earned her master's degree from the University of Florida in 1990. She is married to Vance McCary, and the couple have two rescued golden retrievers, Berni and Silas.
ABOUT STEPHEN F. AUSTIN STATE UNIVERSITY
Stephen F. Austin State University, the newest member of The University of Texas System, began a century ago as a teachers’ college in Texas’ oldest town, Nacogdoches. Today, it has grown into a regional institution comprising six colleges — business, education, fine arts, forestry and agriculture, liberal and applied arts, and sciences and mathematics. Accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, SFA enrolls approximately 11,000 students while providing the academic breadth of a state university with the personalized attention of a private school. The main campus encompasses 421 acres that include 37 academic facilities, nine residence halls, and 68 acres of recreational trails that wind through its six gardens. The university offers more than 80 bachelor’s degrees, more than 40 master’s degrees and four doctoral degrees covering more than 120 areas of study. Learn more at the SFA website.