Stephen Thompson to Join Bethany College as Director of Athletics

BETHANY, W.Va. – Bethany College President Dr. Tamara Nichols Rodenberg has announced that Stephen P. Thompson has been appointed the Director of Athletics at Bethany College.

He will begin in his new role at Bethany on July 1, 2018.

Previously, Thompson was the athletic director at Eureka College in Illinois, where he recently completed a $3 million dollar fundraising campaign to renovate the school’s historic Reagan Gymnasium and McKinzie Football Field.

During his tenure at Eureka, Thompson administered a competitive athletic program in the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. Eureka’s women’s basketball team, which Thompson coached, took both the conference regular season and tournament championships in 2017 to advance to their first-ever NCAA Tournament. In recognition for his achievements that year, Thompson was named the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association College Coach of the Year, the SLIAC Coach of the Year, as well as the Hero Sports National Coach of the Year.

Additionally, the Eureka Red Devils football program won eight games to clinch its first conference title since 1995 and go to the NCAA playoffs for the first time in school history.

Prior to his appointment as Eureka’s Athletic Director, Thompson served as the Assistant Athletic Director for Facilities and Operations at Case Western Reserve University and later at Kent State University.

He has extensive experience in both athletic facilities development and fundraising.

“We’re delighted to welcome Steve Thompson to our leadership team,” said Dr. Rodenberg. “He brings a unique blend of talents and experience that we sought nationwide and which will address our specific needs as we grow our athletic department and facilities.”

“I would like to thank President Rodenberg, those involved in the search, and the Board of Trustees for this opportunity,” said Thompson. “The visionary leadership from Dr. Rodenberg and the passion for Bethany from those involved in the search really made this position attractive. I am excited to join the dynamic team at Bethany.”

Thompson holds his bachelor of arts degree in history from the College of Wooster and a master of science in sports administration from Kent State University.

About Bethany College

Bethany College, founded in 1840, is the oldest private college in West Virginia. The Bethany experience focuses on academic excellence in the area of liberal arts and prepares students for a lifetime of work and a life of significance.