STATESBORO, Ga - Building a healthy endowment is vital to the future of Georgia Southern University Athletics.
Securing and retaining successful coaches as well as recruiting skilled athletes is the lifeline of a collegiate athletics department. By securing endowments, the Georgia Southern University Athletic Foundation will be able to provide a perpetual source of income to support both coaches and student-athletes at the University.
Permanent means to support coaches will enable the Department of Athletics to recruit the best coaches and mentors for Georgia Southern student-athletes. Meanwhile, as costs continue to climb, endowed scholarships for student-athletes are crucial in order to cover tuition, educational fees, books, and room and board.
Providing financial resources, such as endowments, creates a significant connection between Georgia Southern trailblazers such as Erk, Ham and Peterson and emerging leaders like Lunsford, Breida and McKinnon.
To remain competitive within the landscape of college athletics, generous donors have committed to backing Georgia Southern University Athletics' coaches and student-athletes by establishing a Coaches Continuity endowment, the Tracy Ham Quarterback Scholarship Endowment and the Adrian Peterson Running Back Scholarship Endowment.
The family, who wishes to remain anonymous, has challenged all of Eagle Nation to contribute to the sustainability of the Foundation and will match up to $750,000 in gifts made to the Coaches Continuity Fund or scholarship endowments that support Georgia Southern student-athletes who play in one of the University's 17 Division-I varsity programs.
"To compete at a championship level in college football, a program needs to not only support student-athletes, but it has to attract and retain talented coaches. A program that can sustain coaches is able to build and maintain lasting relationships between the University and high school coaches, prospective student-athletes, current student-athletes and former players. These relationships will create a thriving, yet grounded, program that has longevity," said the family's representative. "More importantly, these relationships will continue to build a family-like environment that Georgia Southern is known for and can be the driving force for a recruit to not only excel athletically but also academically to realize his or her dream to get a college degree."
He goes on to say, "The Statesboro and Georgia Southern community is an atmosphere where people would want to live and raise a family. But to keep winning coaches as part of our community, they need to know they will be compensated for doing so. We believe in giving back and supporting Georgia Southern University. Our family would like to challenge every alumnus and friend to do the same. No gift is too small. In the end, the ultimate benefactor of your gift is a student."
The Coaches Continuity Fund can be used to benefit coaches in several ways. It can be used to supplement a coach's salary as well as reward them for what their team does on the field and in the classroom. The department's incentive program provides an opportunity for a coach to receive a bonus for the number of wins during their season, participation at conference championships and post-season games, conference and national coaching awards, and/or their student-athletes' Academic Progress Report (APR).
"The longevity of high caliber coaches and winning programs attract first-class student-athletes," said Tom Kleinlein, Director of Athletics. "This donor's financial commitment to endowments is unprecedented and is the first, and largest, of its kind in the history of Eagle Athletics. This challenge will play an essential role in the retention of successful head coaches as we continue our Journey as a member of the Sun Belt Conference."
Those interested in contributing to the Coaches Continuity Fund, Tracy Ham Quarterback Scholarship Endowment, Adrian Peterson Running Back Scholarship Endowment and existing endowments should visit GSEagles.com/Match to make their gift. Contributions can even be made in honor or memory of someone and donations can be made as a one-time gift or broken into monthly payments.
Donations can also be sent to the Athletic Foundation, ATTN: Matching Gift Challenge, PO BOX 8115, Statesboro, GA 30460. Those interested in establishing or matching an existing endowment should contact Sally Scott, Interim Director of the Athletic Foundation at (912)478-5520.
The Athletic Foundation is a 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization. All gifts made to the Athletic Foundation's Matching Gift Challenge are tax-deductible within the guidelines of U.S. law.
The Georgia Southern University Athletic Foundation's primary goal is to provide our student-athletes with the opportunity to compete for a championship ring and earn a college education while developing them as future leaders in their respective communities.
The mission of the Georgia Southern University Athletic Foundation, Inc. is to provide private financial support for athletic scholarships, facilities and staff enhancement for the Athletic Department of Georgia Southern University. All of the activities of the Athletic Foundation are conducted with the highest regard for academic and athletic excellence and within the guidelines established by the University System of Georgia Board of Regents, conference affiliations and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).
