ANDERSON, S.C. – Anderson University President Evans Whitaker has announced that Director of Athletics Bill D'Andrea has been named Vice-President for Athletics at AU, effective immediately.
"Mr. D'Andrea is a valued member of the Senior Leadership Team," said Whitaker. "Under his leadership, Trojan Athletics has made significant and exciting advancements. Mr. D'Andrea's new title reflects his level of responsibility and the significance of Athletics to the University."
Since his arrival during the summer of 2015, D'Andrea has placed an emphasis on facility enhancement and fundraising, with membership in the Trojan Club growing significantly – most notably in student involvement.
During his tenure, teams wearing the Black and Gold have made nearly a dozen appearances in the South Atlantic Conference Tournament, with the women's basketball team bringing home the 2015 regular-season title. AU student-athletes have earned All-South Atlantic Conference honors on 40 occasions, and gone on to claim All-Southeast Region recognition 16 times.
Anderson has seen newcomers claim four SAC Freshman of the Year titles, a women's basketball Player of the Year (2015-16) and AU men's and women's tennis players swept the 2017 SAC Scholar-Athlete awards, with cross country and track runners earning three appearances in the NCAA National Championships in the past nine months.
D'Andrea has overseen substantial improvements at the Athletic Campus, with significant enhancements to the weight room and the addition of lights and locker rooms at soccer's Trojan Stadium.
"I am grateful to President Whitaker and his support of Anderson athletes," said D'Andrea.
Away from the field and off the courts, AU student-athletes have performed in the classroom, boasting a departmental-record 3.24 GPA at the conclusion of the 2015-16 academic term, while 128 Anderson athletes were named to the South Atlantic Conference Commissioners Honor Roll last summer.
Prior to taking the reins of the Trojan athletic program, D'Andrea served as Executive Senior Associate Athletic Director for External Affairs at Clemson, while his administrative career with the Orange and Purple spanned 25 years. He served with the Tigers' athletic department in both full-time and part-time positions for more than three decades, beginning as a graduate assistant football coach under legendary Clemson head coach Danny Ford in 1983 and 1984.
After serving as a full-time assistant at Southern Mississippi during the 1985 campaign, D'Andrea returned to the Upstate the following season as the Tigers offensive line coach, serving in that role until being named Associate Athletic Director/Director of Student-Athlete Enrichment Programs at Clemson. He helped lead the Tigers to a 38-8-2 record, including three straight Atlantic Coast Conference Championships (1986-88) during his tenure as an assistant coach.
As an assistant A.D. for 11 years, D'Andrea helped pioneer the Tigers' student-athlete enrichment, serving as the first director of Vickery Hall, which is Clemson's student-athlete enrichment facility. He built the foundation for success by increasing the number of student-athletes with 3.0 GPA's or above by nearly 30 percent, while establishing the Honor Roll Banquet to recognize student-athlete's academic achievements.
D'Andrea was elevated to Senior Associate Athletic Director in 2001, supervising all external affairs of the athletic department and oversaw all of Clemson`s fundraising activities (IPTAY), promotions, marketing, tickets, and sports information.
The Morgan, Pa. native, reorganized the revenue-generating components of the Clemson athletic department under one umbrella, generating more than $35 million dollars over a 10-year span and created the first capital campaign for Clemson athletics. Under his guidance, Clemson repeatedly set records for both donors and football season-ticket holders. D'Andrea was active in Atlantic Coast Conference administration and served on the ACC's Sportsmanship Committee.
D'Andrea received his undergraduate degree in criminal justice from Indiana State in 1973 and earned a master's degree from East Carolina in 1975.
He was a member of the Sycamore football team as an offensive lineman for four years and following his playing days, D'Andrea served as an assistant football coach at Virginia, Massanutten Military Academy and South Atlantic Conference-member Catawba.
D'Andrea and his wife Lee reside in Central, S.C.
