Monday, January 06, 2003

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (Jan. 6, 2003) - East Tennessee State University announced today that Barbie Breedlove has been hired as the Associate Athletic Director/Senior Woman Administrator. Breedlove comes to ETSU from Appalachian State University were she served as head women's basketball coach. "I am thrilled to have the opportunity to make the transition from coaching to athletic administration, and to do it at a fine institution like ETSU and to remain in the Southern Conference," Breedlove said. Breedlove's duties as SWA will include the supervision of 10-12 athletic teams and the welfare and well-being of student-athletes. She will also be involved in speaking and community service outreach programs, Title IX and gender equity issues. Breedlove will also oversee the development of a speaker's bureau and National Student Athlete Day, in which ETSU student-athletes will reach out to the local community. "I have been very impressed with the people I've met here at ETSU," Breedlove said. "I think the future at East Tennessee State is very very bright." Breedlove spent 10 seasons as assistant women's basketball coach at Appalachian State, before becoming the head coach in 1997. During that time her teams compiled a 180-105 record. During the 1998-99 campaign, Breedlove led the Mountaineers to their fourth Southern Conference Championship title. While an assistant at Appalachian, Breedlove was part of three SoCon regular season titles, four SoCon tournament titles, and three trips to the NCAA tournament as well as coaching three Southern Conference Players-of-the-Year. A native of Asheville, N.C., she earned her associate of arts degree from Brevard College in 1977. She studied Physical Education at Springfield College, were she received her Bachelor of Science degree in 1979. She graduated magna cum laude from both schools. In 1988, Breedlove earned her master's degree in Sports Management from Appalachian State.