Chad Yowell is beginning his 23rd year as executive director ofathletics at Wheaton. Yowell oversees all facets of a highlycompetitive NCAA Division III athletic department that includesprograms in 21 men's and women's varsity sports, intramural andclub sports, and general student, staff and faculty recreation.
Under Yowell's guidance, Wheaton athletics have expandeddramatically. In addition to upgrading the existing eight women'sprograms upon his arrival in 1988, Yowell not only added foursports teams to the women's program but also launched a men'sprogram of nine sports following Wheaton's transition tocoeducation in 1987. Over the last 22 years, he has tripled thesize of the full-time coaching staff, quadrupled the departmentalbudget and implemented a multi-faceted recruitment plan.
Yowell directs a department that regularly places among theupper echelon in the annual Directors' Cup standings, whichrecognizes the most successful collegiate athletics programs in thecountry. Wheaton has finished among the top 25 programs in four ofthe last 10 years, including a 17th-place standing in 2004 ina pool of 430 NCAA Division III colleges and universities. Duringthe 2007-08 academic year, the athletics program flourished as itsvarsity teams compiled a record of 226-116-4 (.659).
The school has indeed enjoyed tremendous success under Yowell,capturing eight NCAA national championships, 13 Eastern CollegeAthletic Conference (ECAC) titles and 84 New England Women'sand Men's Athletic (NEWMAC) regular season and tournament crowns.Wheaton also hosted the 1991, 2002 and 2007 U.S. CollegiateSynchronized Swimming Championships as well as several NCAA, ECACand NEWMAC Tournament events.
During Yowell's tenure, Wheaton has enjoyed the benefits ofboasting some of the nicest facilities in New England, includingthe Evelyn Danzig Haas Athletic Center that was recognized at the1991 National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics(NACDA) Midwest Facilities Conference. In addition to an athletictreatment center, locker rooms, classrooms and department offices,the 102,000-square-foot facility contains an eight-lane pool, ahardwood floor gymnasium that seats 1,000 people and amulti-purpose field house with a 200-meter, six-lane track.
Wheaton offers six lighted outdoor tennis courts, the renovatedClark Recreation Center - which served as Wheaton's main athleticfacility before Haas - and numerous playing fields, includingbaseball's James. V. Sidell Stadium. The Lyons' facilities alsoinclude the newly renovated Thomas A. Pappas Fitness Center,Christina Mirrione Stadium for women's soccer and men's lacrosse,Clark Field for field hockey and softball, and Keefe Field,training site for the 1994 Nigerian World Cup soccer team and hometo Wheaton's men's soccer and women's lacrosse teams.
In addition to playing a major role in Wheaton's athletic successesand fine facilities, Yowell developed and implemented the WheatonAthletic Mentors (WAMs) program, instituted the firststudent-athlete advisory group and negotiated rental agreementswith the college on behalf of the Wheaton coaches in order to havecamps run during the summer months.
Yowell has been extremely active on various committees throughoutthe region and nation. Having served on the NCAA Division IIIChampionships and Infractions Appeals committees, Yowell was amember of the Management Council, Student-Athlete ReinstatementCommittee, Strategic Planning Committee and the NCAA jointsubcommittee on the future of Division III athletics. He alsoserved as the NCAA New England chair for softball from 2000-03.
Yowell was a member of the ECAC Executive Council in addition toserving on the ECAC Award of Valor Committee and men's and women'sbasketball and women's volleyball tournament selection committees.From 1993-95, he was the first male to be selected president of theNew England Women's 8 Conference (NEW 8). At Wheaton, Yowellis involved on several committee groups, including the CollegeBenefits Review, President Budget Advisory, and Alcohol andVandalism Task Force.
Named Division III Northeast NACDA AD of the Year at the conclusionof the 2003-04 academic year, Yowell was one of 25 winners acrossthe nation honored. The NACDA AD of the Year program recognizesathletic directors who have shown administrative excellence withinthe campus and/or college community for the designated academicyear. Winners are spread out over four geographical regions, andthe membership is separated into six categories. One winner ischosen from each of the four regions in the six designatedcategories along with one international winner for a total of 25recipients.
Prior to Wheaton, Yowell was employed at Pacific University inForest Grove, Oregon, for 12 years, where he served in severaldifferent capacities. As Dean of Students from 1984-88, Yowell wasa member of the president's council that was responsible forproviding leadership and program development to all aspects ofstudent life. He also managed a budget in excess of $2 million inaddition to overseeing a new academic support and services program.At Pacific, Yowell held the athletic director post from 1981-84 andwas an assistant professor from 1976-84. From 1976-87, he had hishand in coaching golf, women's basketball and baseball in additionto serving a stint as an athletic trainer.
A 1972 graduate of Utah State University, Yowell holds a bachelor'sdegree in physical education with a minor in geography. He laterattended Portland State University and earned a master's degree inteaching in 1975. He and his wife Charlene have been married for 39years and currently reside in Norton. They have four grown childrenand four grandchildren.
