New AD McMillian shares his vision for AU Athletics
By Anna Biondolillo | Sports writer
New Augusta University director of athletics Brent McMillian told the AU community on June 15 that he has high hopes for Jaguar teams in the upcoming academic year.
When McMillian took the stage at a press conference in the JSAC Williams Ballroom on the Summerville Campus of AU, he expressed his excitement at being back in Augusta. McMillian, who comes to AU from Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tenn., said that having a very competitive athletics program is a major priority.
“I want us to be in the top third of the league in every sport, competing for conference championships,” he said.
AU President Russell T. Keen introduced Brent McMillian at the press conference. (photo by Lydia Williams/the Bell Ringer)
Last academic year, Jaguar volleyball was regular-season co-champion with Flagler, and the women’s basketball team won the Peach Belt Conference Tournament. Both cross-country teams finished second in the league championship meet, as did the outdoor track-and-field teams. In the indoor championships, the men finished second and the women third. Men’s golf was third in the West Coast Conference championship in the Jaguars’ first season in the WCC. Individually, high jumper Kamani Pardo made second team all-America in outdoor track and field.
McMillian, who attended Greenbrier High School, said he planned to build a culture where there was relentless improvement in all areas, including recruitment, practice and competing on the fields and courts.
The press conference started off with President Russell T. Keen emphasizing the importance of AU athletics not just to the coaches and athletes but to the entire campus as well. And with this importance comes big shoes to fill in order to lead the athletics department in the right direction, which is why the university leadership chose McMillian.
The AU AD started his undergraduate studies at AU and then completed it at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, earning a bachelor’s degree in sports management. He worked at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in various roles and then spent nearly seven years at NCAA Division I Lipscomb, where the sale of athletic event tickets increased by 26 percent, and there was a 73 percent increase in home broadcast viewership. Meanwhile, corporate sponsorship increased by 65 percent, to name a few statistics.
The only way to achieve all of these goals includes one common topic: funding. And in looking at McMillian’s past at Lipscomb, his fundraising skills proved to be exceptional. He said he wants to integrate more small businesses and corporate businesses into the department. These will make larger goals more possible.
“External engagement is kind of my bread and butter coming up in this industry,” McMillian said.
McMillian also believes AU Athletics should be more connected to the community—and that he would like to see fans packing Christenberry Fieldhouse and the softball and baseball stadiums while having a good time supporting the Jaguars.
“We just want people to have a good family-friendly experience,” he said. “I don’t know if it’s the same—Augusta has gotten a lot better in the last 20 years, there are a lot more things to do here—but back when I was a kid, all my friends just complained there’s nothing fun to do, and so we’re trying to make (attending our sports teams’ games) something fun to do.”
Former Student Athletic Advisory Committee president and cross-country and track-and-field graduate assistant Noah Shepherd expressed his excitement at seeing McMillian at the helm of AU Athletics.
“Mr. McMillian is an exceptional fit for athletic director at AU,” Shepherd said. “His relational skills are top-notch, and he is deeply invested in the experience of the student-athlete at Augusta University. I’m excited to see how he will provide more opportunities for the teams at AU to compete at a high level.”
McMillian also worked for Old Dominion University, where he earned an MBA, and the Asheville Tourists minor-league baseball team.
The new AD thanked softball coach Melissa Brocato for serving in the interim after Ryan Erlacher resigned in December. Erlacher is now the vice president for athletics at William Jewell College in Missouri.
Contact Anna Bindolillo atvabiondolillo@augusta.edu.
Brent McMillian, the new director of athletics at Augusta University, moved to the CSRA in eighth grade and started his undergraduate studies at AU before transferring to the University of Tennessee to earn his degree in sports management. At the top of the page, McMillian told the audience at the press conference in the JSAC Williams Ballroom that he wants to get to know the community as much as the community wants to get to know him. (photos by Lydia Williams/the Bell Ringer)
