Eagle Nation:

It's been a while since I checked in, but today seemed like a great opportunity for me to update you on everything happening in the athletics department. We have a lot going on with the crossover season right now (winter and spring sports taking place simultaneously) so to try and break things up, I'm going to go with the bullet point edition of From the Desk of TK.

• By now, I'm sure everyone heard of the untimely passing of former Eagle football player Edwin Jackson. Edwin represented everything that was good about Georgia Southern Athletics, and he will truly be missed. It was incredible to see all of the people whose lives he touched come together at his funeral on Monday. The presence of Georgia Southern coaches, former players, fans, NFL teammates and coaches coming together to celebrate his life was something to behold and is an experience I will not soon forget. Erk used to always say "Do Right" and Edwin certainly epitomized that creed. I urge each of you to try and live your life the way Edwin lived his.

• The big news out of Statesboro this week was the hiring of Adrian Peterson to Coach Lunsford's staff as the director of student-athlete development. Getting someone like AP back on campus representing his university will be something special, and I think both our future and current players will benefit from having him here. He will act as a liaison between the academic staff and the coaches to monitor the progress of our players, but will also be able to share his life story and be able to listen to our student-athletes, helping them navigate the waters of college life and life after graduation.

• On the fundraising side of things, we're on pace for another record-breaking year thanks to your generous donations. Eagle Nation is the lifeline of Georgia Southern Athletics, and without your contributions, we couldn't sustain the level of success we aim to achieve. So thank you for all you do for the department and the 400 student-athletes who represent this great school.

• With the numerous accomplishments we've achieved in the fundraising department,  it was only a matter of time before someone snatched Kevin Bostian from us and that time has come. Kevin joined the Athletic Foundation in 2015 as the Senior Associate Athletic Director for Development and also served as the Executive Director of the Athletic Foundation. In his time here, we've had record-breaking fundraising numbers. He will be missed greatly. I want to thank Kevin for all he did for this department and wish he and his family the best of luck on their move to Raleigh. We have already begun a nation-wide search for his replacement and hope to have that position filled by early spring.

• We should be getting the 2018 football schedule from the conference office within the next few weeks, but as I announced on Signing Day, we had to replace Presbyterian on the schedule with South Carolina State. That opener is still September 1st, so that doesn't change anything and we will still have six home games this year. The interest in Georgia Southern football is extremely high right now based on season ticket renewals and pre-orders. If you haven't already purchased your season tickets, you can do so now at GSEagles.com/Tickets. Spring football will begin on March 8th and the Spring Game, sponsored by Core Credit Union, will be at 1 p.m. on  Saturday, April 14th at Allen E. Paulson Stadium.

• Our staff is currently working on our new five-year strategic plan which will shape the direction and philosophies of our department. I've tasked several staff members to act as leaders for their area of the plan, and they are incorporating fellow co-workers, university staff, donors, student-athletes and fans to serve as members of their committees. I think this will be a good exercise in leadership and development to give them a voice in how our department is run. Besides the new mission and vision statement for the department, these groups will focus on the areas of student-athlete experience, revenue generation, brand awareness and identity, and talent management. I hope to be able to announce the final plan either late this summer or when school starts in August.

• It's a huge weekend for the basketball teams, and we need you to Pack Hanner both Friday and Saturday. On Friday night, the men's team hosts Georgia State in a nationally televised game on ESPN2 at 9 p.m. Saturday, women's basketball will take on the Panthers at 2 p.m. with a chance to improve their seeding for the upcoming conference tournament. It's a White Out for both games so let's show the country what GS basketball is all about and make Hanner an intimidating place for our friends from Atlanta.

• This past weekend, our softball team took to the diamond for the first time and posted a 3-1 record under new head coach Kim Dean. It was great to see the new era of GS softball get off to a good start with three good wins. The weather was a little dicey, but we still had some good crowds supporting the Eagles, and I'm excited to watch the development of this team under Coach Dean.

• Coach Hennon and his baseball squad hit the diamond this weekend for a three-game set up in Athens and then open their home slate on Tuesday against Georgia Tech. Get your tickets now for that one as we're expecting a big crowd in J.I. Clements Stadium. The squad lost a lot of talent from last year's team, but with only one senior on the roster this year, the future is exciting for this club.

• I want to wish Coach Thomas and her swim team luck as they compete in the Coastal Collegiate Sports Association (CCSA) conference meet in Athens. They've been swimming well of late and Coach feels good about their chances. Coach Worman and her rifle squad will compete in an NCAA qualifier this weekend in Charleston, so I want to wish good luck to them, as well.

• Women's golf had a good showing in Texas at their spring opener and the men's team hits the links this weekend in Gainesville. Be sure to mark your calendar as the Schenkel Invitational is set for the weekend of March 16. This event has turned into one of the best on the east coast and we're excited to welcome another strong field to Statesboro.

• Coach Carter and the track & field team have had several strong performances to open their indoor season and I look forward to seeing them continue to improve and carry that over to the outdoor season. With the new track surface, it's going to be nice to be able to host some outdoors meets in the future and I know Coach Carter is excited, as well.

• Our women's tennis team is off to an undefeated start and our men's team is getting into the meat of its schedule looking to get on a roll heading into conference play.

• And finally, plans are well underway for the first GUSPYs Award Show, which will honor the best plays, moments and stories from the 2017-18 season. On April 24th, we'll be live on the blue carpet as we celebrate the year that was in GS Athletics. In the next few months, we'll announce the four finalists for a majority of the awards, including Play of the Year, Victory of the Year, Breakout Player, Strength & Conditioning Student-Athletes of the Year, Comeback Players of the Year, True Blue Award, Freshman of the Year and much more. It'll be a great event that the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) is putting on. It will be streamed live online and we'll have more details as the event gets closer.

I know that's a lot but I wanted to catch you up on everything going on around here. As you can see, it's a busy time around the Parrish Building, but I wouldn't have it any other way. I hope to see you out at the arena, ballpark or stadium this spring supporting the Eagles!

As always, #HailSouthern



TK