Ryerson announces new athletic director
Posted on 04/23/08
Written by Erin Valois
(The Eyeopener) - Interim athletic director Jean Kennedy has done a good job holding down the fort for Sports and Recreation- but now Ryerson has found a replacement.
The university has taken a crucial step to redevelop their athletic program as they announced the hiring of new athletic director Ivan Joseph. He will be taking over from Kennedy on July 1st.
Joseph is the director of soccer operations at Graceland University in Lamoni, Iowa. He is also the coach of the men's soccer team and the assistant professor of Health and Physical Education. In 2006, Joseph was named the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) National Coach of the Year and last year, he led the men's soccer team to its first NAIA Men's Soccer National Championship.
Joseph may be trading in Iowa's rolling hills for Toronto's concrete landscapes, but Ryerson's newest athletic addition isn't a stranger to the area. Joseph grew up in the city and was a member of the prestigious Mazda Optimists track and field club. The nationally ranked high-school track and field athlete was then recruited by Graceland in 1993.
The new athletic director also knows the importance of facilities to interuniversity sport programs. At Graceland, Joseph was behind the creation of a leading multi-field soccer complex. Through his work to search for significant private and public funds to build the facility, Joseph has the experience and drive necessary to make athletics a priority in the school's future.
According to Vice-Provost Students Zouheir Fawaz, it is this dedication to interuniversity athletics that made Joseph a perfect fit at Ryerson.
"He's a community builder who understands that Sports and Recreation plays a key role in the quality and experience of student life on campus, and he believes strongly in athletics as an integrated part of the university," Fawaz said. "I'm confident that he has the passion and drive to lead our athletics programs to the next level."
