Jud Damon named athletic director

From Staff | gargoyle@flagler.edu

Jud Damon has been hired as athletic director at Flagler College as announced Tuesday morning by President William T. Abare, Jr.

Damon served as the athletic director at Georgia College and State University in Milledgeville last year and served in the same capacity at the Savannah College of Art and Design from 2000 to 2008. He also served as the athletic director and head baseball coach at Trinity International University in Miami from 1997 to 2000.

Flagler is a member of NCAA Division II and officially joins the Peach Belt Conference this summer.

Damon begins his duties at Flagler on June 8 and will oversee its 13-sport athletic program.

He will be the eighth athletic director at Flagler since the school began its athletic program in 1973-74. Damon follows Dave Barnett who served 15 years as both athletic director and head baseball coach until he stepped down to concentrate on his duties of coaching baseball.

“We are delighted that Jud Damon will be the new athletic director at Flagler,” Abare said. “He has extensive experience in leading athletic programs at the college level and he brings to Flagler an impressive record of achievement in intercollegiate athletics and a strong commitment to academics that will serve our college well as we begin competing in the Peach Belt Conference this coming fall.”

Damon said he is excited about the new position and possibilities at Flagler.

“My family and I are thankful for the opportunity to work at Flagler College,” Damon said. “Flagler has a great tradition of success, and I am looking forward to leading the program as it begins play in the Peach Belt Conference.

“I am familiar with many of the coaches and administrators at Flagler and respect them all.”

Damon earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania and a master’s degree in sport management from the University of Massachusetts. He was inducted into the University of Pennsylvania Baseball Hall of Fame in 2001.

He started his career in collegiate athletics in 1990 as an assistant baseball coach at UMass. In 1998, he guided the Trinity International baseball team to the National Christian College Athletic Association National Tournament and set school record for wins in 1999 and 2000.

In his eight years at SCAD, Damon saw 96 teams appear in the postseason. SCAD finished in the Top 20 of the NACDA Director’s Cup standings in each of Damon’s last four years there including an eighth place finish in 2007-08. He also involved in SCAD’s transition from NCAA Division III to the NAIA and membership in The Sun Conference (formerly known as the Florida Sun Conference). In 2003, SCAD’s athletic department was honored at the NCAA National Convention with the Josten’s/National Association of Division III Athletic Administrators Community Service Award. His emphasis on student-athlete academic achievement led to over 100 student-athletes earning Academic All-District, Academic All-America or Scholar-Athlete during Damon’s tenure.

In his stint at Georgia College, nine of 10 teams competed in NCAA postseason competition. Six of the seven team sports produced winning records with all but one finishing in the top three in the Peach Belt Conference.