2011-12 Basketball Guide

Senior Associate Director of Athletics/ Compliance and Student Services

Responsibilities:

Gray supervises all ser-
vices as they relate to the
student-athlete, including
the Student Academic
Enhancement Program,
Life Skills, Strength and
Conditioning, and Sports
Medicine., as well as the
school’s spirit squads. In addition, he oversees
C-USA and NCAA Compliance, life skills pro-
grams, student-athlete financial aid, the NCAA
certification process, eligibility, NCAA special
assistance funds, and the department’s graduate
assistants. In addition, he serves as administrator
of the spirit squads.

Joined Southern Miss Staff: 2007

Record at Southern Miss: Senior Associate Director of Athletics, Compliance and Student Services (2007-present)

Prior to Southern Miss: Assistant Athletic Director for Compliance at Rice (2000-07); Assistant Director of Compliance at Baylor (1998-2000); Compliance Intern at Louisiana State (1997-98); Compliance Graduate Assistant at West Virginia (1996-97)

Education: West Virginia, 1997 (master’s); Southern Miss, 1996 (bachelor’s)

Jeff Hammond

Senior Associate Director of Athletics/ Advancement

Responsibilities:

Former USM quarter-
back, team captain and
Army Major General, Jeff
serves as the Director,
Athletics Department
Advancement. His prima-
ry duties revolve around
fund raising and major
gifts for the athletic department.

Joined Southern Miss Staff: 2010

Record at Southern Miss: Senior Associate Director, Athletics Department Advancement (2010-present)

Prior to Southern Miss: Chief of Staff, U.S. Army Forces Command (2009-10); Commanding General, 4th Infantry Division and Multi-National Division, Baghdad, Iraq (2007-09); Director of Army Current Operations (2005-07); Deputy Division Commander, 1st Cavalry Division, Operation Iraqi Freedom (2004-05).

Education: Southern Miss, 1979 (bachelor’s); Southern Miss, 1984 (master’s)

Diane Stark

Senior Associate Director of Athletics/ Internal Affairs

Responsibilities: Stark serves as the department’s chief operating officer and chief financial officer.

She has direct oversight
and provides leadership
in the areas of budget and
finance, policies and pro-
cedures, facilities, event
management, personnel and human resources,
athletic equipment and property accounting,
sports video, oversees athletic department sec-
retaries, athletic camps and risk management.

Joined Southern Miss Staff: 2006

Record at Southern Miss: Senior Associate Director of Athletics, Internal Affairs (2006-present)

Prior to Southern Miss: Owner of Frames Etc., Etc. (2003-06); Associate Registrar at Louisiana-Monroe (2001-03); Associate Director of Athletics at Louisiana-Monroe (1994-01); Director of Marketing, Media and Public Relations at GNI Sports, Inc. (1991-94); Director of Scheduling and Commercial Traffic at Creative Sports Marketing (1989-91); Assistant to the Executive Director at the FedEx Orange Bowl (1987-89); Assistant to the Commissioner at the Metro Athletic Conference (1983-87); Assistant to Track and Baseball Coaches and University Fundraising Groups (1970-83). Education: Nebraska, 1983 (bachelor’s)

Sonya Varnell

Senior Associate Director of Athletics/ Olympic Sports/Senior Woman Administrator

Responsibilities: Varnell provides oversight of 13 of the department’s 16 intercollegiate sport programs,

which includes complete
management of the sport,
including business and
finance, facility develop-
ment and fundraising. She
also directs and monitors the department’s gender
and minority equity plans, as well as coordinates
fund raising efforts for the women’s sport pro-
grams. Her other areas of responsibility include
coordinating the department’s performance evalu-
ations and monitoring the hiring practice of the
athletics department and provide diversity training
workshops for the athletics staff.

Joined Southern Miss Staff: 1999

Record at Southern Miss: Senior Associate Director of Athletics (2005-present) and Senior Woman Administrator (1999-present); Associate

Director of Athletics, Olympic Sports (1999-2005)

Prior to Southern Miss: Business Manager for Varnell Construction (1998-99); Alexander von Humboldt Foundation Bundeskanzler Scholar (1997-98); Coordinator of Multicultural Programs for Athletics at Nebraska (1993-97); Compliance and Academic Affairs Assistant for the Southeastern Conference (1991-93); Graduate Assistant Track and Field Coach at Ole Miss (1989-1991)

Playing Experience: Four year track and field letterwinner at Ole Miss (1986-89); SEC All-Academic Team (1988)

Education: Ole Miss, 1991 (master’s); Ole Miss, 1989 (bachelor’s)

Dr. Dennis Phillips

Faculty Athletics Representative

Responsibilities:

Provides input to the athletics department in relation to budgetary matters, policy and governance and compliance, also serves as the voice of the faculty on all matters relating to intercollegiate athletics.

Joined Southern Miss Athletics: 2003

Joined University: 1992

Record at Southern Miss: Graduate Coordinator of the School of Human Performance and Recreation (1999-present); Tenured Associate Professor, School of Human Performance and Recreation (1992-present)

Prior to Southern Miss: Coordination of Solicitation for the Volleyball Hall of Fame (1990-91); Assistant Director of Athletics at Springfield College (1987-90); Basketball Administrator at Southwest Baptist University (1978-87); Tenured Assistant Professor of Health, Physical Education at Southwest Baptist University (1978-87); Admission Counselor, Director of Intramurals and Physical Education teacher at Mount Marty College (1976-78); Physical Education and History teacher (1973-75).