Joann Wakefield joined the Georgia Southern Athletics Department in 2017 for an internship as an Assistant Academic Advisor (2017-2018) for Student-Athlete Services. She then moved into a full-time role as an Academic Advisor (2019-2022). Wakefield currently serves as Assistant Director of Student-Athlete Services (October 2022). She works with the men's basketball and women's soccer teams, as well as coordinates tutoring services and academic awards.
Prior to her current teams, she also worked with football, men's golf, volleyball, rifle, men's tennis, men's soccer, and assisted the learning specialists.
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Wakefield is originally from Munster, Indiana. She received a Bachelor of Science in kinesiology (exercise science) with a minor in psychology from Eastern Illinois University. During her time at Eastern Illinois, she competed for the women's swimming team specializing in sprint freestyle/breaststroke and IM events. She left as a top-10 performer in school history in the 50 freestyle, 100 breaststroke, and as a member of the 2014 team record-setting 400 freestyle relay. She was also a member of the 2014-15 CSCAA Scholar All-American Team. Wakefield received a Master of Science in kinesiology (sport psychology) from Georgia Southern University. She served as a graduate teaching assistant for the Physical Activity & Healthful Living (PAHL) Program at Georgia Southern, instructing a number of body conditioning, fitness walking and adaptive physical activity courses for undergraduates.
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Wakefield lives in Statesboro with her dog Bitsy. When she is not at GS games or in Cone Hall, she can be found exploring the Low Country with boyfriend, Cory Cottrell (USC-Beaufort head golf coach) and Bitsy.
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