Matthew Green Selected as Athletic Director at Lincoln Memorial University

HARROGATE, Tenn. -- Lincoln Memorial University President Dr. B. James Dawson has proudly announced the hiring of Matthew Green as the new Director of Athletics for the Railsplitters. Green, formerly the Associate Athletic Director at Shorter University in Rome, Ga., was selected by a search committee from a strong pool of candidates to take the place of Roger Vannoy, who retired in June after serving as LMU's AD for eight years.

"Lincoln Memorial University has completed a national search for an Athletics Director," said Dr. Dawson. "It is with excitement and great anticipation that I announce Matthew Green as our next AD. I am convinced that he will become a tremendous leader on our campus and he will continue to build upon our fine reputation."

Green's rise in college athletics has been meteoric. He takes over as the newest Director of Athletics in the South Atlantic Conference eight years after receiving his Bachelor's Degree from Hampden-Sydney College and six years removed from earning his Masters from Virginia Commonwealth University, but does so with a wealth of knowledge and a wide range of experience.

Green most recently served as the Interim Director of Athletics at Shorter, taking up that post at the tail end of a five-year tenure as the Senior Associate Athletic Director, where he oversaw all aspects of the Hawks' 20 intercollegiate sports, including staff management, budgeting, scheduling, student-athlete services and academic support.

"The programs at Lincoln Memorial are very good," said Green. "There's a tradition of success here and I think everybody wants to go from good to great. It's going to be about establishing relationships with the coaches we have and with the people in the community. One thing Lincoln Memorial has going for it is an engaged Board and President that really support athletics. It starts with great coaches, great student-athletes and great staff members, so I'm excited to get to work with those entities."

Green wore many hats during his stay in Rome, administering both the Office of Athletic Compliance and the Sports Information department, developing fundraising and sponsorship programs and initiatives alongside the Office of Advancement, and representing Shorter athletics at all Gulf South Conference (GSC) and NCAA meetings. Green was also a senior management team member for Shorter athletics, helping to steer the direction and vision of the department.

Green acquired a deep and detailed understanding of the NCAA Division II's rules and regulations while at Shorter, as he served as the chief supervisor and manager of the University's transition from the NAIA to the NCAA, spearheading an effort that began with the initial application in 2010 and ended with final Annual Report in 2014. Green created Shorter's first NCAA compliance manual and helped streamline the campus-wide practice of the NCAA's administrative principles, rules and regulations and Title IX guidelines.

"We were able to do some great things at Shorter because of the people that we had," Green commented. "And when I came on campus here at Lincoln Memorial I found that same thing; just great people working as a team, pulling together, to accomplish great things, so I'm excited to get to work."

Green's experience in leadership extends well beyond the confines of Shorter's campus. In late 2010, Green founded the National Women's Lacrosse League, the NAIA's first women's lacrosse league, which grew from six representatives to 16 programs from 10 different states during Green's two-year post as Commissioner. While serving in that capacity, Green created and enforced NWLL bylaws, league budgets and schedules while also creating and maintaining the league website.

Earlier this year, Green was one of 12 athletic administrators selected from a pool of more than 200 candidates to participate in the year-long NCAA Pathway Program, which is designed to provide insight and an intensive, experiential learning opportunity for those looking to elevate from senior-level positions to athletic director roles.

Along with his various administrative positions, Green has a wealth of experience as a championship host. Since 2009, Green has been a Rome Championship Host Committee Member, serving as the media coordinator for the NAIA National Championship and the NCCAA Victory Bowl. Additionally, he has helped organize and coordinate the Peach Belt Conference (PBC) Outdoor Track & Field Championship as well as the NCCAA Outdoor Track Championships.

Green's involvement in college athletics started in earnest in 2004, when he transferred from Dartmouth to Hampden-Sydney College in Farmville, Va. and began a three-year basketball career. A two-year varsity captain, Green was recognized as the 2007 Old Dominion Athletic Conference Men's Basketball Scholar-Athlete of the Year while pursuing a B.A. in Mathematical Economics.

Green received his Masters in Sports Leadership from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2009, also serving as the Sports Information Director at Hampden-Sydney during that time. In his first role as an athletic administrator, Green was the primary media and marketing contact for Hampden-Sydney's eight intercollegiate athletic programs.

In May of 2009, Green moved on to Shorter and began his tenure with the Hawks as the Sports Information Director, where he was recognized as the Southern States Athletic Conference SID of the Year in his first full year on the job. One year later, Green added Senior Associate Athletic Director to his job description. He moved out of the Sports Information office in 2012 when he took over as the Director of Compliance and Media Relations.

"I understand how fortunate and how blessed I am for this opportunity, and I will not take it for granted," Green said. "I'm looking forward to getting to work."

Green will officially begin his tenure at Lincoln Memorial on August 15.