XAVIER - Key Persons

Aaron French

Job Titles:

Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach

Abby Kiefer

Job Titles:

Assistant
Coach
Title / Assistant Coach

Abby Kiefer was named an assistant women's golf coach in August of 2023. The former standout played for the Musketeers from 2018-23. Kiefer led the Musketeers to their fourth straight BIG EAST Title and NCAA Appearance in the spring of 2023. She was named to the 2023 Academic All-District® Women's At-Large Team selected by College Sports Communicators in May. The Dublin, Ohio won medalist honors at the 2022 BIG EAST Championships and finished her career with five top-10 finishes. She was also named to the All-BIG EAST Tournament Team in 2022 and 2023. Kiefer and the Musketeers finished fifth or better in nine tournaments during the 2022-23 season. Xavier won three tournaments and posted with two runner-up finishes. The Musketeers had 13 top-two finishes dating back to the spring of 2021 (eighth tournament titles; five runner-up finishes).

Adam Cohen

Job Titles:

Crawford Family Associate Head Coach

Alex Kamphaus

Job Titles:

Assistant
Coach
Title / Assistant Coach

Alex Kamphaus joined the Xavier men's soccer program ahead of the 2021 season as the director of goalkeeping. He was promoted to assistant coach in March of 2023. In 2022, he coached Cole Jensen to one of the best single-season performances in program history. He was named a United Soccer Coaches NCAA Division I Men's All-American, becoming the first goalkeeper in school history to earn the honors (second overall honoree from Xavier).

Andre Foster

Job Titles:

Assistant
Coach
Assistant Volleyball Coach
Title / Assistant Coach

Andre Foster was hired as an assistant volleyball coach in August of 2022. He joins the Musketeers after a one-year stint at Purdue Fort Wayne as a graduate assistant. In 2022, Foster was the recipient of the BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year award and helped the Musketeers to a 21-12 record, a third place BIG EAST regular season finish, a third place BIG EAST Tournament finish, and a trip to the NIVC Quarterfinals. Foster was one of 18 up-and-coming coaches to receive the 2022 AVCA Diversity Award. The American Volleyball Coaches Association began the Diversity Award in 2015 and provides an opportunity for young coaches to attend the AVCA Convention and attend seminars to build personal and professional relationships in an effort to grow the sport. In 2021, Foster assisted in coaching Katie Crowe to the All-Horizon League Second Team. He also served as the head coach for Empowered Volleyball Academy in 2021. Prior to working in Fort Wayne, Foster was a volunteer assistant coach at UC Davis from 2020-21. He also served as the head coach for OMNI Volleyball Club in 2020-21.

Andy Barry

Job Titles:

Assistant
Athletic Director
Assistant Athletics Director for Business and Financ
Assistant Athletics Director for Business and Finance

Andy Barry was promoted to Assistant Athletic Director for Business and Finance in August 2015. Most recently Barry served as the Director of Business Operations for Cintas Center. Previously he was the director for premium seating and ticketing and oversaw all issues related to the suites and premium seats at Cintas Center for nine years. He also oversaw all athletic and non-athletic ticket operations, which include supervision of the ticket manager and his staff. Barry also for 18 years managed the licensing/trademark program. Initially, he has served as athletic ticket manager and as the assistant to Greg Park, Associate Athletic Director for Business. A native Cincinnatian, Barry came to Xavier in 1988 after spending two years in the Cincinnati Reds' Ticket Office. Barry worked as cashier in the Reds' ticket office, balancing daily, monthly and game deposits and working with the Ticketmaster computer system. Barry also spent one year as the vault manager in the Reds' ticket office. Barry received his master's of business administration from Xavier in 1994. He received his bachelor's degree in finance and economics from the University of Cincinnati in 1986. Barry lives in Colerain Township with his wife, Jenny, a chemical engineer, their daughter Rachel (22) and sons Nathan (19) and Bryan (16).

Andy Kettler

Job Titles:

Head
Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for Men 's Basketball

Andy Kettler is the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for Basketball. Kettler, who spent the past four seasons in that role on the University of Louisville staff, served 10 years in a similar capacity for the West Virginia men's basketball team before his UL stint. "Andy Kettler is one of the most respected, experienced and talented strength and conditioning coaches in the country," said Head Coach Sean Miller. "His track record working alongside Bob Huggins and Chris Mack for the last 14 years is impressive. Andy's Philosophy on how to make our team stronger and in superior condition aligns with my philosophy. Andy is also a Cincinnati native. Being able to bring him home to Xavier was an important goal we had as we begin building our program." During Kettler's decade with the Mountaineers, West Virginia participated in the NCAA Tournament on eight occasions, advancing to five Sweet 16 appearances and the 2010 Final Four. He spent two years as the head strength and conditioning coach at Winthrop. While there, he was in charge of all aspects of the Eagles' strength and conditioning program as Winthrop played in the NCAA Tournament in both of his seasons there. Prior to his time at Winthrop, Kettler was the head strength and conditioning coach of the Kansas City Royals for two seasons. With the Royals, he was in charge of the entire strength and conditioning staff, including the supervision of two assistants and six interns. Kettler designed and implemented programs for strength, conditioning, flexibility and nutrition. Kettler earned a bachelor's degree in sports industries/recreation at Ashland in 2001. Following college, he served as an intern at Toledo before joining the Cleveland Indians organization as strength coach for one of Cleveland's minor league teams, the Lake County Captains. After a one-year stint with the Indians organization, Kettler served as minor league strength and conditioning coordinator for the San Diego Padres' six minor league teams. He was a classmate of Xavier Associate Athletic Director for Basketball Administration Mario Mercurio at Cincinnati's St. Xavier High School. Kettler, who earned a master's degree in sport administration from UofL in 2021, is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) and is Corrective Exercise Specialist (CES) and Performance Enhancement Specialist (PES) certified. He and his wife, Kimbraly, have a daughter, Brynley, and two sons, Jaxen and Isaiah.

Angel Robinson

Job Titles:

Graduate Assistant

Robinson rejoins the Musketeers as the program's graduate assistant after a one-year stint at Xavier as a graduate student-athlete. In 2022, Robinson helped lead the Musketeers to see the program's best record since 2012, the first trip to the BIG EAST Tournament since 2016, and the program's first trip to the NIVC where they earned the first postseason victory in program history. She earned BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Week honors and totaled 53 block assists, 10 block solos, and 136 kills for Xavier in the 2022 season. Robinson has gained prominent coaching experience while working with Ohio Premier Club Volleyball as a head coach of the 16-1s squad. Robinson played collegiately at Virginia Tech ('18-'21) and finished her four-year career with 249 sets played as well as 192 block assists, 26 block solos, and 326 kills. The Norman, Okla., native holds a bachelor's degree in human development from Virginia Tech ('22). She is currently pursing a master's in sport administration from Xavier.

Angela Wyss

Job Titles:

Director
Assistant Athletics Director for Student - Athlete Academic Support Services ( BSB, SWIM )

Angela Wyss joined Xavier University as the Director of Student-Athlete Academic Support Services in October of 2014. She was promoted to Senior Director of Student-Athlete Academic Support Services in January of 2020 and promoted again to Assistant Athletics Director for Student Athlete Academic Support Services in July of 2022. Wyss supervises a staff of three full-time advisors in addition to working with the baseball and swimming programs. Prior to coming to Xavier, Angela worked on Florida Atlantic University's staff as an Associate Director for the Student-Athlete Center for Academic Excellence from 2009-2015. Her primary duties included working with several athletic teams, including men's basketball, supervising two full-time advisors, coordinating the Guest Coach Program, overseeing the faculty feedback system through Grades First, running the summer bridge program, and coordinating the class check program. Wyss served as an Academic Coordinator at Colorado State University from 2007-2009. At CSU, Wyss was the SAAC Coordinator, the Community Outreach Coordinator, the G.O.L.D. Team Coordinator, and the NCAA/CHAMPS/Life Skills Coordinator. She also taught a freshman student-athlete transition course. Angela coordinated the academic progress of men's and women's basketball, men's and women's cross country, and men's and women's track and field. Wyss first began working fulltime in collegiate athletics at Saint Francis University in Loretto, PA where she served as the Director of Student-Athlete Development from 2003-2007. Wyss also served as the the SAMS Coordinator, the Community Outreach Coordinator, and monitored the academic progress of all 400 student-athletes in the 21 sports teams. She also developed and coordinated the Red Flash Leadership program. In addition, she developed a Catastrophic Incident Plan for the Department of Athletics. Wyss started and chaired the American Cancer Society's campus relay for life where she helped raise thousands of dollars for cancer research. She sat on several campus committees as well.

Ashlee Kelly

Job Titles:

Associate Head Coach

Ashlee Kelly was named the associate head coach for women's basketball in April of 2023. She joined the Musketeers after 14 seasons at Iona. In 14 seasons at Iona, Kelly helped the Gaels to 221 wins with four 20-win seasons. She also helped Iona advance to the NCAA Tournament twice, win two Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Regular-Season Titles and capture two MAAC Tournament Titles. All told, she helped coach 35 All-MAAC honorees - including three MAAC Players of the Year, two MAAC Defensive Players of the Year, and five MAAC Rookies of the Years. Kelly helped the Gaels to 26 overall wins and 18 conference wins in 2013-14 and 2022-23. Both marks are program bests in Iona program history. Prior to Iona, Kelly was the head coach at Mercy College (2006-09). She was also the assistant director of athletics for student services/SWA at Mercy College from 2006-08. Kelly also has coaching experience with the Connecticut Breeze U13 and U15 Teams (2003-04).

Austin Sarns

Job Titles:

Student Manager

Avery Wright

Job Titles:

Assistant Athletic Director for Women 's Basketball

Xavier head women's basketball coach Billi Chambers announced the hiring of Avery Wright as assistant athletic director for women's basketball in May of 2023. Wright joined the Musketeers after one season at Oklahoma State. Wright served as a graduate assistant with the Cowgirls in 2022-23. She worked directly with the head coach and director of operations to manage the day-to-day operations of the program. Wright also oversaw the student managers, assisted with on-campus visits and was the liaison with the support areas for the program. Prior to Oklahoma State, Wright was a championships assistant for the Big 12 Conference from 2021-22. She assisted in hosting conference championships, creating championship manuals and assisted with all business office operations. Wright served as a student assistant and intern to the athletic director at Texas Tech from 2019-21. She assisted in managing the athletic director's schedule and assisted in managing the football and basketball suites. Wright also assisted in fulfillment of group ticket orders and helped oversee the day-to-day operations of the deputy athletic director's office. The Lubbock, Texas, native holds a bachelor's degree in human resource development and political science from Texas Tech ('20). She also holds a master's of science degree from Texas Tech ('21).

B.J. Raymond

Job Titles:

Graduate Program Manager

B.J. Raymond re-joined the Xavier Basketball Family this year as a graduate program assistant following a successful 13-year professional basketball career. Raymond, who earned 2008-09 First Team All-Atlantic 10 Conference, USBWA (United States Basketball Writers Association) District 5 Team and NABC (National Association of Basketball Coaches) District 4 Second Team honors as a senior, finished with 1,104 career points. He finished first on the team in scoring at 14.1 ppg. (13th in the Atlantic 10), including his team-high 15 points in the Wisconsin NCAA Tournament win that helped earn him CBS/Chevrolet Game MVP honors. Raymond helped Xavier record a 103-35 (.746) record during his career, including four NCAA Tournament appearances. That included an Elite Eight his junior year and a Sweet 16 his senior year. He was the hero of the 2008 NCAA Regional Semifinal win over West Virginia, scoring all eight of his points in overtime. He hit two big 3-pointers in the final 1:22 of overtime that erased a 74-72 WVU lead and gave XU a 78-74 lead with 30 seconds left. Raymond played 13 years of pro ball after his standout Xavier career, including stops in Argentina, Belgium, Cyprus, Lebanon, Slovenia, Georgia, Italy and Finland. He spent five seasons in Italy. There were plenty of professional career highlights as well, including championships in Georgia and Finland in 2013 and 2014. Raymond was named to the All-Import Team in 2011, 2014 and 2015. He earned Forward of the Year in 2014 and 2015 along with a 2015 scoring title. He earned plenty of All-League honors: First Team (2011, 2014, 2015), Second Team (2020, 2021) and Third Team (2010). Raymond is a 2009 Xavier University graduate with a bachelor's degree in liberal arts. He has two sons, Benjamin and Jaxon, who live in Belgium with their Mom.

Billi Chambers

Job Titles:

Coach
Head

Billi Chambers was named the ninth women's basketball head coach in Xavier history on April 5, 2023. Chambers joins the Musketeers after spending 10 seasons at Iona University (2013-23). She led the Gaels to the NCAA Tournament twice (2015-16, 2022-23), captured two Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Regular-Season Championships (2013-14, 2022-23) and won two MAAC Tournament Championships (2015-16, 2022-23). The conference titles and NCAA Tournament appearances were program firsts.

Billy O'Conner

Job Titles:

Assistant
Siemers Family Baseball Head Coach

Billy O'Conner was named the seventh head coach of the Xavier baseball program in June of 2017 after a decorated playing career and six years on the staff as an assistant. In his first six seasons, O'Conner led Xavier to an overall record of 152-154 with a 61-41 mark in BIG EAST play. In 2023, O'Conner led the Musketeers to a second-straight 30+ win season, with the Musketeers going 39-25 overall and 14-7 in BIG EAST play. Xavier finished runners up in the conference regular season standings, earning the No. 2 seed in the BIG EAST Championship.

Brandon Ray

Job Titles:

Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach

Breanna (Patz) Jenco

Job Titles:

Coach
Head

Breanna (Patz) Jenco was named the head coach of the Xavier women's golf program in July 2015 after working for two seasons as an assistant coach at Akron.

Brent MacDonald

Job Titles:

Robb and Martha Schueler Head Coach

Brent MacDonald became the Robb and Martha Schueler Head Coach in 2009, taking over the reigns of the Xavier's men's and women's swimming program after previously serving as interim head coach during the 2008-09 season and as an assistant coach at XU from 2006-08. In 2019, MacDonald led the Xavier me to the the program's fourth BIG EAST championship in six years, coming from behind to pass Georgetown on the final day of the competition despite not competing in diving.

Brett Sanders

Job Titles:

Manager
Assistant Athletics Director for Sales
Sales and Hospitality

Brett Sanders was hired as a Ticket Manager in 2008 before being elevated to Director for Ticketing and Premium Seating in 2009. He was promoted to his current position, Assistant Athletics Director for Ticket Sales, in 2015. Sanders coordinates all ticketing procedures for men's basketball, and oversees ticketing procedures for all other Xavier sports. His primary duty is managing the sales and service of all men's basketball tickets. Sanders came to Xavier from the Eastern Kentucky where he worked as the ticket manager from 2006-08. He ran the ticket office and managed a game day staff for football, men's basketball and women's basketball. Before serving as the EKU ticket manager, Sanders served as an office associate for the University of Kentucky from October 2002 to July 2005. He assisted in football and basketball renewal processes, sold tickets on game days for football and helped run ticket operations at baseball and soccer games. A December 2004 graduate of the University of Kentucky with a bachelor's degree in broadcast journalism, Sanders earned his master's degree in sport management from Eastern Kentucky University in the spring of 2008.

Brian Arlinghaus

Job Titles:

Coach
Head

Brian Arlinghaus was named the head men's golf coach in June of 2021. Arlinghaus joined the Musketeers after serving as the head men's golf coach at Wright State from 2017-21. He was an assistant coach with the Raiders for two seasons (2015-17) before being promoted to head coach. Arlinghaus led Wright State to the 2019 Horizon League Championship, the program's first conference title since 2004. The Raiders also finished second at the conference championships in 2021 and fourth in 2018. Arlinghaus coached 12 all-conference honorees during his time at Wright State, highlighted by a program-best four honorees in 2021. He also assisted in coaching Ryan Wenzler to Horizon League Player of the Year honors in 2017, becoming only the second player in program history to earn the recognition. Arlinghaus posted 24 top-five team finishes at tournaments as the head coach at Wright State with seven tournament titles. Prior to Wright State, Arlinghaus was the head men's golf coach at Miami University-Hamilton from 2012-15. The Cincinnati native holds a bachelor's degree in sociology and psychology from Dayton and a master's degree in sport and exercise psychology from the Chicago School of Professional Psychology. He owns and operates Cincinnati Sports Psychology which he founded in 2013.

Brian Hicks

Job Titles:

Administrator for the Musketeers
Member of the NACMA, Served on Its Board of Directors
Senior Associate Athletics Director for External Relations

Brian Hicks joined Xavier University in 2004 and was promoted to Senior Associate Athletics Director for External Relations in July of 2022. Hicks is part of Xavier Athletics' core senior leadership staff and is accountable for all aspects of the department's external areas, including fan experience and engagement, communications and media relations, sales and image-related initiatives. Oversight includes marketing and revenue generation efforts for Xavier University's 19 sport intercollegiate athletic program including ticket operations and sales, promotions, advertising, game-day activities, community relations and the overall branding of Xavier Athletics. He serves as the department liaison for Xavier Sports Properties (a property of Learfield Sports), and handles key strategic relationships with FOX Sports, CLC, and SIDEARM Sports. Hicks is the sport administrator for the Musketeers' men's and women's soccer programs. He also served as the Tournament Manager of the 2010 NCAA Women's Basketball Championship first and second rounds hosted at Cintas Center, and was Tournament Director of the 2014 NCAA Division I Men's Soccer Championship First Round and 2021 NCAA Division I Women's Soccer Championship First Round. During his time at Xavier, the university has continued to see significant growth in premium seating and ticket sales, licensing, merchandising, corporate sponsorship and other revenue streams as a result of an aggressive department-wide effort to capitalize on the success and national prominence in men's and women's basketball. Under his guidance, the athletic marketing department has received numerous `Best of' Awards from the National Association of Collegiate Marketing Administrators (NACMA) including in the categories of New-Revenue Generating Idea, Single-Day Attendance Promotion, Intro Video, TV Commercial, Ticket Sales Piece, Newspaper Display Ad, Promotional Poster and Promotional t-shirt design. Hicks began his marketing career in professional sports with affiliates of both the Seattle Mariners and the San Jose Sharks. In 1998-99, while completing his master's degree at Xavier, Hicks spent time as a marketing assistant working on a variety of projects including premium seating for Cintas Center. Prior to returning to Xavier, Hicks spent nearly five years at The Superlative Group where he was responsible for sponsorship, naming rights, and premium seating programs for municipalities and professional and collegiate properties. Of note, Hicks was involved in the luxury suite sales campaign for the Cincinnati Reds' Great American Ball Park that concluded in a MLB record 37 days. Hicks is a member of the NACMA, served on its Board of Directors for ten years until 2020 and was President during the 2018-19 year. For the BIG EAST Conference, Hicks currently serves on the Women's Soccer Sport and Championship Committee, and is on the Marketing & External Operations subcommittee. Hicks is a graduate of the Xavier University Manager-Leader Professional Development Program, and he is a member of the International Collegiate Licensing Association (ICLA) and Cincinnati Sports Professionals Network. He has authored two articles that have been published in Athletics Administration, the official publication of the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics. A 1997 graduate of the University of Kentucky, Hicks earned a master's degree in sport administration from Xavier in 1999. He and his wife, Rachel, reside in Loveland with their children, Ben and Aubrey.

Brianna Sanders

Job Titles:

Assistant
Coach

Brianna Sanders was hired as an assistant coach for women's basketball in April of 2023. She joined the Musketeers after spending the 2022-23 season at Iona.

Calvin Claggett

Job Titles:

Assistant Athletics Director for Marketing and Fan Engagement

Calvin Claggett joined Xavier Athletics as the new Assistant Athletics Director for Marketing and Fan Engagement in Fall of 2022. Claggett came to Xavier from Yale Athletics, where he led its marketing and fan engagement efforts. Claggett will be responsible for the marketing efforts for Xavier's 19 intercollegiate athletics programs. He will focus on fan engagement and driving attendance in efforts to deliver excellent experiences for our guests. As the Director of Marketing and Fan Engagement at Yale, Claggett was responsible for developing inclusive, strategic marketing and promotion plans, managing in-game elements, producing innovative revenue generation strategies, and creatively enhancing the Yale Athletics fan experience. He successfully reimagined the ‘Yale Up' new student orientation event and built the fall marketing plan for all sports including football, men's and women's soccer, field hockey and volleyball. Prior to Yale, Claggett spent five years in external affairs at East Tennessee State University, eventually earning a promotion to Director for External Operations and Equity and Inclusion. Claggett also served as Special Assistant to the Vice President of Equity and Inclusion for Athletics. At ETSU, Claggett advised and support external areas in marketing, ticketing, communications and advancement. He was responsible for the day-to-day operations and planning for event presentation at a variety of athletic events. Notably, Claggett coordinated all community outreach and engagement, and handled key relationships with university administration and student groups. He was intimately involved in the planning and promotion of such events like the Excellence Fund Buccaneer Bash and ETSU Athletics Golf Tournament. Claggett focused on using data-driven analytics and positive culture trends to create dynamic atmospheres while cultivating relationships with fans, donors, corporate sponsors and students. He developed and executed successful marketing, promotional and sales strategies to see an annual increase in attendance from students and season ticket holders. Some of his accomplishments from ETSU include breaking the men's basketball single game attendance record for on Jan. 25, 2020, as well as shattering the football single game attendance record on Nov. 20, 2021. Along with those moments, Claggett helped sell out five of the six home football games during the 2021 season, setting a new season attendance record at ETSU. Lastly, he helped the men's soccer program reach its first sold out crowd in Summers Taylor Stadium on Nov. 7, 2021. Claggett also served as the department's first chief officer for equity and inclusion in ETSU's athletics. He built a strategic plan centered around equipping students, staff and administration with the tools and best practices to foster and sustain an inclusive environment. Claggett served the Southern Conference as the game director for the men's and women's basketball championships from 2018 through 2021. He also served on the Southern Conference Racial Justice and Equity Task Force and the East Tennessee State University Equity and Inclusion Advisory Council. Claggett also spent time as an adjunct professor at ETSU. Claggett earned a B.S. in sociology, public administration from ETSU in 2016 and an M.Ed. in higher education leadership & policy analysis with a student personnel concentration in 2019.

Cam Miller

Job Titles:

Director of Basketball Operations

Cam Miller joined Xavier Athletics in 2022 as Director of Operations for Men's Basketball. Miller came to Xavier from Saint Mary's College in California, where he served as a graduate assistant in the 2021-22 season and was a part of a historic season. The Gaels finished undefeated at home for the first time in school history and secured a No. 5 seed in the 2022 NCAA Tournament where they lost in the Second Round to UCLA. He began his pursuit of a career in college basketball as a student manager for Arizona men's basketball during his undergraduate career. Miller, a 2021 graduate of the University of Arizona with a degree in business management from the Eller College of Management with a minor in sports management, is the son of Xavier head coach Sean Miller. He was born in Carey, North Carolina and grew up in Tucson, Arizona. Miller enjoyed a successful playing career at the high school level, helping lead his team to a State Championship runner-up finish. He scored over 1,000 career points and was the runner-up for Southern Arizona Player of the Year honors. For his career he averaged 12 points, 3.5 assists, 2.5 rebound and 1.0 steals a games while shooting 40 percent from 3-point range and 80 percent from the free-throw-line.

Carol Maas

Job Titles:

Administrative Assistant
Title / Administrative Assistant

Carol Maas was hired as an administrative assistant in October of 1999. She handles the administrative needs for the women's basketball program. Maas also serves as the athletics business office assistant. Maas earned a bachelor's degree in liberal arts from Xavier in the spring of 2016.

Chris Crutcher

Job Titles:

Operations Specialist

Chris Schaaf

Job Titles:

Director for Broadcast and Engineering

Chris Schaaf was hired in May of 2005 as an Assistant Technical Director. He has been promoted three times, most recently being promoted to Director for Broadcast and Engineering in July of 2022. Schaaf's responsibilities include coordinating streaming broadcasts and keeping all the related equipment and systems running in top form. He also maintains the LED videoboards and related systems within Cintas Center. Schaaf is heavily involved in the technical game day production, making sure that all the needs of marketing and Xavier Sports Properties are translated to our game day staff for execution. He also serves as the building's video engineer and interface with all outside broadcast groups to ensure their production needs are met while at Cintas Center and other athletics venues. Schaaf graduated from Xavier University in 2005 with a bachelor's in Electronic Media. He resides in Mt. Washington with his wife, Lindsey, and their three children (Luke, Millie, & Hazel).

Christian End

Job Titles:

Faculty Athletics Representative
University Associate Professor

Christian End, Ph.D., was named as Xavier's second Faculty Athletic Representative (FAR) in April of 2016. End will share the FAR duties with Sr. Rose Ann Fleming, who has been an academic counselor with student-athletes at Xavier since 1985 and an FAR since the 2010-11 school year. End, a Xavier University associate professor trained in social psychology, is often quoted for his expertise in fan behavior. He has published over 25 research reports mostly related to social identity theory, self-presentation tactics, and gender differences within the sport fan context. In 2013, the Southeastern Psychological Association named Dr. End Mentor of the Year and Cincinnati Magazine recognized him as being one of Cincinnati's "Outstanding Educators". End earned his undergraduate degree from Xavier in 1996 and his Ph.D. from Miami University in 2002. Members of Xavier University's Faculty Committee provided a list of faculty nominations to University President Fr. Michael Graham, S.J. and he selected End as the second FAR. "I am pleased to appoint Christian as one of our Faculty Athletic Representatives and grateful that he is excited to play this important role for Xavier," said Graham. "With Sr. Fleming's workload tied to a variety of projects including the promotion of her book, 'Out of Habit,' this gives Xavier two talented and dedicated educators to fill the important FAR role." "With the emphasis that our student-athletes, coaches, faculty, staff, and administration place on academics, I am honored to be asked to contribute to the tradition in the role of FAR," said End. "The opportunity to learn from one of the best, Sister Rose, is also very exciting. I look forward to working with the XU community to make sure that our student-athletes' academic successes continue."

Christy Pfeffenberger

Job Titles:

Coach
Head

Connor Barnes

Job Titles:

Athletic Trainer
Title / Athletic Trainer

Connor Barnes was named assistant athletic trainer in August of 2015. He previously served as an athletic training intern at Xavier in 2014. Prior to Xavier, Barnes was a graduate assistant athletic trainer at Terre Haute North High School in Terre Haute, Ind. He served as the primary athletic trainer for boy's basketball, girl's soccer, wrestling and baseball. Barnes earned a bachelor's degree from Xavier in 2012 and a master's degree from Indiana State in 2014. As a student at Xavier, Connor worked with men's soccer, volleyball and women's basketball. He also worked with the Cincinnati Cyclones. Barnes also completed internships with the Sports Medicine and Training Center of St. Louis and the St. Louis Cardinals.

Connor Gearhart

Job Titles:

Athletic Trainer
Title / Athletic Trainer

Connor Gearhart joined the sports medicine staff as an intern in July of 2017 before being promoted to assistant athletic trainer in July of 2019. He works with the men's soccer, track and field and golf programs. Prior to Xavier, he was a graduate assistant athletic trainer at Illinois State from 2015-17. He was one of the primary athletic trainers for the football program. Gearhart was an undergraduate student athletic trainer at Oklahoma State from 2012-15, working primarily with the football and women's soccer programs. He also completed rotations at local high schools and physical therapy clinics. Gearhart is a State of Ohio licensed athletic trainer and a certified professional rescuer through the American Red Cross.

Danny Allen

Job Titles:

Director of Baseball Operations

Danny Allen, originally from Joliet, Ill., joined Billy O'Conner's staff for the 2022-23 academic year. He is a senior at Xavier majoring in Exercise Science.

Dante Jackson

Job Titles:

Assistant
Coach

David C. Hyland

Job Titles:

Director of Baseball Analytics

David C. Hyland, PhD, CPA started as a Finance professor at Xavier University in 2004 and began assisting Billy O'Conner's staff during the 2019 season. In addition to teaching finance and sabermetrics courses at Xavier, he works with the Xavier baseball coaches to manage and analyze data to improve performance and help players develop. He also works with students through the Xavier Baseball Analytics Team (XBAT). Hyland received a Ph.D. from the Ohio State University, M.S.M. from Purdue University and B.A. from Indiana University. He also passed the CPA exam in the state of Ohio. His teaching specialties include investments, derivatives, financial modeling and corporate finance. He received numerous teaching awards while teaching at Purdue, Ohio State, and the University of Texas - Arlington. His research has been published in journals such as Financial Management and Financial Analyst Journal. His current projects focus on real estate investment trusts, mutual funds and corporate finance. Dr. Hyland has industry experience as a sales representative with Sterling Drug and as an accountant at Owens Corning Fiberglass.

David Fluker

Job Titles:

Assistant Athletics Director for Sports Medicin
Assistant Athletics Director for Sports Medicine

David Fluker has spent over 20 years at Xavier in the sports medicine department over the course of two stints at the university. He has moved from Assistant Athletics Trainer to Assistant Athletics Director for Sports Medicine over the course of his tenure. He spent seven years (2003-10) working as athletic trainer for the men's basketball program at the University of Cincinnati. Fluker also served seven years in a similar capacity at Xavier from 1996-2003. Fluker coordinates coverage of medical staffing for all of Xavier's 19 NCAA Division I programs and its over 300 student-athletes. Fluker's role still includes responsibility for the men's basketball trainer duties at Xavier. Fluker came to Xavier the first time in 1996 after three years as the staff athletic trainer for Queen City Sports Medicine & Rehabilitation. Other sports medicine experiences include being staff athletic trainer for Bethesda Montgomery Physical Therapy (1988-91) and graduate assistant athletic trainer at Michigan State University (1986-88). Fluker was selected as a volunteer athletic trainer in 2000 at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., and as a site athletic trainer at numerous events. He was an athletic trainer with the USA Judo Team at the 2003 Pan Am Games in the Dominican Republic. Fluker, who was born in Cincinnati, is a 1986 graduate of Wilmington College with a bachelor's degree in sports medicine-athletic training. He earned his master's degree in health education-human performance from Michigan State in 1988. He and his wife, Crystal, have six children: Leonard, Courtney, Davin, Kira, Simone and D.J.

David Miller

Job Titles:

Assistant
Coach

Assistant Coach David Miller spent seven years under current Xavier Head coach Sean Miller when he was at Arizona and just completed his first year under him at Xavier. David helped Sean lead Xavier to one of the top five winningest seasons in school history in 2023, tying the school record for BIG EAST wins in a season and leading the Musketeers to the 2023 NCAA Tournament Sweet 16. "David Miller has a tremendous ability to connect with people," said Miller. "The players that he coaches believe in him. He also has strong relationships across the world that allow him to be one of the brightest young recruiters in College Basketball. David served multiple roles on our staff at Arizona and is familiar with our systems both on and off the court. These experiences will be invaluable to our staff here at Xavier as we begin to establish our Program." Miller comes to Xavier from San Jose State University, where he headed up the recruiting efforts and served as an assistant coach during the 2021-22 season under Tim Miles. Miller, who spent the previous two years from 2019-21 as the Arizona Director of On-Campus Recruiting and Basketball Analytics under Sean Miller, was primarily responsible for overseeing all Wildcat video operations, assisting with organization of official and unofficial visits and managing the analytics and data needs of the program. He also played a key role in the signing of the 2020-21 recruiting class that included All-American and Pac-12 Player of the Year Bennedict Mathurin, Kerr Kriisa and Azuolas Tubelis. Miller had two stints with the Wildcats that totaled seven seasons beginning in 2010 under Sean Miller as a student manager, a role he held for three years before serving for two more years as a graduate manager. He then spent two season with the Alabama Crimson Tide, 2015-17, first as the program's assistant video coordinator and then as the director of player development. After two years at Alabama, Miller made his way back to California and spent two seasons on staff at UC-Santa Barbara where he served as the program's Director of Basketball Operations in 2017-18 and 2018-19. The Manhattan Beach, Calif., native then made his return to Arizona for two seasons, 2019-21, before landing the assistant role at San Jose State. During Miller's time on-staff at Arizona, the Wildcats reached three Pac-12 Championships and made four NCAA Tournament appearances, including two trips to the Elite Eight and one to the Sweet Sixteen. Miller's playing career lasted two seasons at El Camino College before transferring to Arizona to become a manager. He earned his bachelor's degree in English and a master's degree in education, both from Arizona. Miller, who was born in Phoenix, Ariz., embraces Manhattan Beach, Calif., as his hometown. Miller's father, Dave, is a former assistant coach of the New Orleans Hornets. He spent over 20 years in college as well at a number of spots, including USC, Arizona State and Texas.

David Overbeck - CTO

Job Titles:

Technical Director
Title / Technical Director

David Patz

Job Titles:

Assistant
Coach
Title / Assistant Coach

David Patz joined the Xavier women's golf program in July of 2019 as a volunteer assistant coach. Patz was previously the women's golf coach at Ben Davis HS since 1998. He coached the team to 16 winning seasons and 17 postseason appearances, including four state final appearances. The team finished 13th at the state championships in 2004 and led the team to its first ever Marion County Championship in 2015. Patz has coached 10 academic all-state selections during his career and was named the ICGSA District Coach of the year in 2001. Prior to coaching the women's team, he was also a successful men's golf and basketball coach at the high school. He coach two sectional champions in golf in addition to two academic all-state honorees and one all-state selection.

Dianna Lewis

Job Titles:

Athletics Communications Graduate Assistant ( VBALL, LAX )
Communications Graduate Assistant

Dianna Lewis was hired as the athletic communications graduate assistant in April of 2022. She will serve as the primary media contact for volleyball and lacrosse. Lewis previously worked as a communications assistant in the Ball State University Athletic Department during the 2021-22 year. In this role, she worked with 14 teams directly along with assisting during four conference tournaments. Originally from Tampa, Florida, Lewis earned her bachelor's in sport administration along with minors in coaching and management from Ball State University in 2022. She is currently working towards earning her Master's of Science in Sport Administration.

Donna Berns

Job Titles:

Business Manager
Title / Business Manager

Doug Matthews

Job Titles:

Director of Tennis, Women 's Tennis Head Coach

Doug Matthews was named Xavier Director of Tennis in 2022, remaining head coach of the women's program. He took over as the men's and women's tennis head coach prior to the 2015 season. Prior to the 2015 season, Matthews stepped in as interim head coach for the spring season before being named head coach. In 2023, Matthews led Xavier to a third-straight, and fourth overall BIG EAST Championship, earning the program's fourth berth to the NCAA Championship. Xavier faced Ohio State in Columbus in the program's fourth NCAA Tournament match. Following the 2023 BIG EAST Tournament, Anna Roggenburk wa s named Most Outstanding Player, earning the accolade for the second time in her Xavier career, also earning the honor in 2021. Playing at No. 2 doubles and No. 4 singles, Roggenburk was undefeated throughout the weekend, going 3-0 in singles play and 2-0 in doubles with Imani Graham.

Doug Willey

Job Titles:

Pitching Coach

Doug Willey joined Xavier Baseball's coaching staff in September 2022. Willey joins the Musketeers as the pitching coach after spending three years as an MILB pitching coach in the Cubs organization. In his first season with the Musketeers, Willey helped coach the Musketeers to a 39-25 overall record and program's fourth BIG EAST Championship and fifth NCAA bid in 2023, where the Musketeers advanced to the Nashville Regional Finals. Xavier finished the season with a team ERA of 4.55 with a school-record 491 strikeouts after a pair of Musketeers, Brant Alazaus and Ethan Bosacker, posted 100 K seasons. With the Cubs organization, Willey oversaw the day-to-day development of the pitching staff, working with players from the Rookie Level up through current Major League players. He utilized Pitching Lab and technologies to assist in developing individualized player plans and to monitor progress through the entirety of a season. Willey was also responsible for creating throwing schedules and throwing programs for the pitching staff. Prior to his time with the Cubs organization, Willey was a graduate assistant at the University of Arkansas, where he was a part of the staff that led the Razorbacks to the 2019 College World Series. During his time there, Willey assisted pitching coach Matt Hobbs in developing the Arkansas pitching staff, developed scouting reports on opposing teams, developed a system of in-house pitching analytics used to help develop pitchers, and helped create individual player plans. He was also the bullpen coach during the season. As a player, Willey was drafted in the 32nd round of the 2016 MLB First Year Players Draft by the Los Angeles Angels out of Arkansas, and spent two seasons playing professionally. As a senior at the University of Arkansas, Willey made 26 appearances out of the bullpen, allowing just 11 earned runs through 28.1 innings pitched, and striking out 29 while only nine walks. Prior to his time as a Razorback, Willey played for Franklin Pierce University, where he finished his career as a Raven ranked first all-time in program history in appearances (61), and was tied for the program record in single season appearances (26, 2014). He collected 20 saves in his time at Franklin Pierce, and helped the team to an appearance in the 2013 DII College World Series. Willey was twice named to the Tino Martinez Player of the Year Award Watch List and won two Cape Cod Baseball League Champions with Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox. Willey graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Biology from Franklin Pierce in 2015, and is earning a Masters in Education from the University of Arkansas.

Duffy House

dh..@xaviersportsproperties.com

Job Titles:

General Manager
Title / General Manager

Ed Tolentino

Job Titles:

Assistant
Coach
Associate Head Coach

Ed Tolentino was hired as an assistant coach in the summer of 2016. He was promoted to associate head coach in August of 2017. In 2022, Tolentino was the recipient of the BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year award and helped the Musketeers to a 21-12 record, a third place BIG EAST regular season finish, a third place BIG EAST Tournament finish, and a trip to the NIVC Quarterfinals. In seven years on the bench, he has helped coach eight players to All-BIG EAST honors, including first-team selections - Abbey Bessler, Sophia Peterson, Carrigan O'Reilly, Brooklyn Cink, and Delaney Hogan. Bessler and Peterson also earned AVCA All-Region First Team honors, while Bessler was also named an AVCA All-American. In 2021 (spring), he mentored AVCA All-East Region Team selection and All-BIG EAST honoree, Carrigan O'Reilly. The setter averaged 10.71 assists per set, ranking second in the BIG EAST and 28th in the NCAA. She added seven double-doubles and one triple-double. During the fall season, O'Reilly again earned All-BIG EAST honors and ranked fifth in the conference in assists per set (8.90). Tolentino joined Xavier following a one-year stint at the University of Connecticut. The Huskies went 16-15 (10-10 AAC) in 2015 and had two players earn all-conference honors.

Fr. Bill Murphy

Job Titles:

Chaplain for Xavier Athletics

Fr. Bill Murphy, S.J. arrived at Xavier University in July of 2022 as Chaplain for Xavier Athletics. In this new position, Fr. Murphy focuses on the spiritual, personal, and leadership formation of student-athletes, coaches, and staff. From 2015 to 2022, he worked for the Midwest Jesuit Province's vocations team, helping prospective Jesuit novices understand God's call. Before that, Fr. Murphy led Saint Ignatius High School in Cleveland, Ohio as its president for six years. "As conversations about my next mission evolved, the people at Xavier quickly impressed me," said Fr. Murphy. "Sharing the Jesuit charism with Xavier's student-athletes, coaches, and staff feels like a dream job, a rare and wonderful opportunity. I'm grateful to the many folks who brought me here." Fr. Murphy's office is located in the Heidt Family Champions Center, giving Xavier student-athletes, coaches and staff access to his counsel. No stranger to Cincinnati, Fr. Murphy served at St. Xavier High School as a teacher and administrator for two stints, 2002-05 and 2008-09. In addition, his ongoing work as a spiritual director and retreat leader informs his approach at Xavier. A graduate of DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana, Fr. Murphy is a native of East Lansing, Michigan. He holds an M.Div. from the Weston Jesuit School of Theology in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Georgia Tech

Job Titles:

Assistant
Coach

Grant Ingham

Job Titles:

Director of Soccer Operations
Musketeers As Director

Grant Ingham joined the Musketeers as director of soccer operations in July 2023. He was previously a student-athlete at Bluffton University from 2019-22. Ingham oversees the day-to-day operations of the program, facilitate travel schedules and manage the undergraduate support staff. Ingham played in 55 matches with 36 starts with the Beavers. The midfielder recorded four assists during his career and helped Bluffton finish the 2022 season with a 9-8 record.

Grant Kindler

Job Titles:

Operations Specialist

Greg Christopher

Job Titles:

University Athletic Director
Vice President for Institutional Strategy and Director of Athletics

Xavier University Athletic Director Greg Christopher is excited about the announcement. "Christian End's outstanding background as an educator and passion for athletics makes him a valuable addition as a second FAR," said Christopher. "Dr. End and Sr. Fleming give us a tremendous team to share the FAR duties at a critical and exciting time for our athletics program."