Taking over a job at your alma mater comes with excitement as well as the pressure of knowing exactly who you are taking over for.
For Athletic Director Dawn Stewart, it has been a wild ride already.
After a busy summer and transition period for Stewart, things are not slowing down, but that’s how she wants it to be.
“The summer flew by, but with classes well underway, that means athletic seasons are as well, and that’s always a fun time around here,” she said.
One of Stewart’s first goals is to solicit corporate sponsorship to fund a turf field and new running track for Memorial Stadium. She said the department is working to find possible donors and make sure everything is done properly.
“Building corporate partnerships are about building relationships with the community,” Stewart explained. “Not only does it benefit us financially, but it strengthens the image of Westerville and businesses in the area.”
Otterbein men’s lacrosse head coach Colin Hartnett is helping Stewart with new marketing and public relations activities and said he really likes the emphasis on community relations.
“Dawn is putting an emphasis on involvement in the community and how that will help us with some big projects and undertakings we have here in the Athletic Department,” Hartnett said.
Stewart is putting an emphasis on the turf and track project because of the benefit it will have for the entire student population. Not only would it be a practice space for multiple teams, but it would also be able to handle intramurals and general traffic. That is why she sees this as a schoolwide funding project.
“The new facilities will also be a big draw for recruits and make us more appealing on a national level and will allow a better overall student-athlete experience,” Stewart said.
So far, Stewart has been nothing but impressed with new football head coach Tim Doup and the new basketball coaching staff, led by head coach Todd Adrian. She describes Doup as a high-integrity person who is trying to create a positive experience for his players and help them mature as men.
“I believe Coach Adrian and his staff will deliver results and build this program the right way,” she said.
“Long term, my vision is for Otterbein to be one of the best programs in the country. Moving forward, we will have to closely evaluate our resources and how we can best utilize all of them.”
Hartnett said, “With Dawn’s fresh energy and ideas, the sky’s the limit for the Athletic Department. Right now, it’s not about making big fixes — nothing was broken — but about making little changes and improvements here and there to move the Athletic Department where it needs to be.”
