Deb Steward has been named the Associate Vice President and Director of Athletics and Recreation at Hobart and William Smith Colleges.
Previously the Director of William Smith Athletics, in her expanded role Steward will oversee all 23 varsity Hobart and William Smith sports as well as the Colleges’ recreation, intramural, fitness, outdoor recreation and physical education programs.
An award-winning administrator, Steward came to the Colleges in 2005 to serve as the Director of William Smith Athletics. Over the past 15 years, she has overseen all aspects of the Herons’ intercollegiate athletics program and supervised the HWS Sport and Recreation Center, the Outdoor Recreation Adventure Program, the waterfront, physical education classes and wellness programs. Steward’s leadership earned her the 2014 ECAC Division III Female Administrator of the Year Award and the 2017 Women Leaders in College Sports Division III Administrator of the Year Award.
“We are thrilled to welcome Deb into this new role,” says President Joyce P. Jacobsen. “Deb is an exceptional leader and one of the top athletic administrators in the country. As we considered how best to provide all students with an outstanding and cohesive athletics and wellness experience, we knew we needed someone with a record of accomplishment in managing and leading people and teams, and someone with success in resource development including fundraising, marketing and community building. Deb is that person.”
Brian Miller, the Associate Director for Athletics and Recreation and Director of Athletic Compliance
Brian Miller, Associate Director for Athletics and Recreation and Director of Athletic Compliance
Rounding out the new leadership model, Brian Miller, who has served as Interim Director of Hobart Athletics for the past two years, has been named the Associate Director for Athletics and Recreation and Director of Athletic Compliance. Sally Scatton, who has served as the Assistant Director of William Smith Athletics for 13 years and the Head Field Hockey Coach for 32 years, has been named the Associate Director for Athletics and Recreation and Senior Woman Administrator, an NCAA designated leadership position, in addition to continuing as Head Field Hockey Coach.
The position changes for Steward, Miller and Scatton will go into effect on Feb. 3, 2020.
“This new management construct with one director of athletics will lead to streamlined processes for athletics and recreation while still maintaining the unique identities of the Statesmen and Herons,” says Vice President for Campus Life Robb Flowers. “Deb, Brian and Sally have an immense respect for one another, the coaches and the histories of both departments. Most importantly, they share a commitment to ensuring that student-athletes have the resources and opportunities to excel, both athletically and academically.”
Sally Scanton, Associate Director for Athletics and Recreation, Senior Woman Administrator and Head Field Hockey Coach
Sally Scatton, Associate Director for Athletics and Recreation, Senior Woman Administrator and Head Field Hockey Coach
“I’m honored at the trust that the Colleges have placed in me to lead the Hobart Statesmen and the William Smith Herons,” says Steward. “I look forward to working with Brian and Sally in this leadership role as we advocate for our students and staff. We are committed to creating efficiencies, equitable policies and procedures and garnering additional support so that all Herons and Statesmen can pursue their academic, athletic and wellness goals.”
The Hobart Statesmen sponsor 11 varsity sports for men: basketball, cross country, football, golf, ice hockey, lacrosse, rowing, sailing, soccer, squash and tennis. The William Smith Herons sponsor 12 varsity sports for women: basketball, cross country, field hockey, golf, ice hockey, lacrosse, rowing, sailing, soccer, squash, swimming and diving, and tennis.
About Deb Steward
During her tenure in Geneva, Steward has hired 13 new head coaches, broken Heron Society records for total membership and total dollars raised, and coordinated four highly successful Heron Hall of Honor ceremonies, all while taking a lead role in The Fund for Athletics, a part of Campaign for the Colleges which improved athletic and wellness facilities. She was central in the fundraising efforts for the Caird Center for Sports and Recreation and established the William Smith Athletics Endowment Fund, the first general athletics fund for the Herons. Steward added women’s ice hockey as the department’s 12th varsity sport in 2014.
Under her supervision, Heron teams have captured 44 conference championships, received dozens of postseason tournament bids, and secured the 2013 NCAA Division III Women’s Soccer National Championship. William Smith student-athletes have earned national acclaim, winning the Coach John Wooden Citizenship Cup, the NCAA Elite 89 Award, more than 100 All-America awards, and 22 CoSIDA Academic All-America awards.
Steward has served as the tournament director for the 2006, 2012 and 2016 NCAA Division III Field Hockey Championships and the 2007 NCAA Division III Women’s Lacrosse Championship. She has also served on several NCAA Championship committees. Steward is currently serving a two-year term on the NCAA Division III Women’s Ice Hockey Committee. She previously served as chair of the Division III Women’s Golf Championship committee and as a member of the Division III Softball Championship committee.
Steward joined the Herons following three years as an assistant athletic director at Ithaca College.
She previously spent eight years at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire as a coach and athletic administrator, where she also earned a master’s degree in education. Steward began her professional career at St. Mary’s (Minn.) University. A graduate of Winona State (Minn.) University with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics education, Steward was a four-year letter winner in both softball and volleyball and played two seasons of basketball for the Warriors.
About Brian Miller
For over a decade, Miller has overseen the NCAA compliance program for all 23 varsity programs at Hobart and William Smith Colleges, spending the past two years as the Interim Director of Hobart Athletics. A member of the National Association for Athletic Compliance, he educates coaches, staff, student-athletes, alumni, alumnae and boosters on NCAA, conference and institutional rules and regulations as they pertain to athletics. Additionally, Miller has managed scheduling for all home and away contests, and the use of HWS’ athletics facilities.
Miller came to the Colleges with 10 years of experience in college athletics as an administrator and coach at D’Youville College and as a coach at Canisius College, where he also earned a master’s degree in sports administration. Miller received his bachelor’s degree in mass communication from St. Bonaventure University.
About Sally Scatton
Scatton has led the William Smith field hockey program since 1988 and has served as an assistant director of William Smith Athletics since 2007. Her Hall of Fame coaching resume includes three national championships, 11 conference championships and 468 career victories. Scatton has mentored 58 All-Americans and scores of all-conference selections. She has been named the national coach of the year three times, regional coach of the year six times and conference coach of the year nine times, while earning induction into three halls of fame.
As the assistant director of William Smith athletics, she has coordinated the annual William Smith Athletics Banquet, Heron community service projects and other special events as well as overseeing game scheduling, regular and post-season event management and student employment.
An accomplished coach of not only field hockey, but lacrosse, basketball and swimming as well, Scatton has guided teams at Cornell University, Wells College and Gorham High School in Maine. Scatton earned a master’s degree in education from SUNY-Cortland, and is a magna cum laude graduate of Ithaca College, where she played four years of field hockey and lacrosse and three years of basketball, earning the school’s Senior Woman Athlete of the Year award.
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