ADMINISTRATION
JASON DONNELLY D I R E C TO R O F AT H L E T I C S Since becoming Furman University’s Director of Athletics in the summer of 2019, Jason Donnelly has delivered a new energy, excitement, and vision to Paladin Athletics, with an emphasis on a first-class student-athlete experience and enhanced alumni and external engagement. Under Donnelly’s leadership, Furman Athletics strives to inspire, educate, and develop outstanding student-athletes through a culture of excellence, prestigious liberal arts and sciences education, and nationally competitive athletics programs.
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major tenet of Donnelly’s directorship is a commitment to academic excellence in support of the Furman Advantage, and the results over the last three years reveal major success. For the 202122 school year, 68 percent of student-athletes were named to the Southern Conference Academic Honor Roll, and in the spring of 2022, Furman student-athletes posted a combined grade point average of 3.23 — a mark that followed a stellar 3.20 GPA in the fall — thereby extending to six consecutive semesters a program-wide cumulative GPA of 3.00 or better. The department’s 93 percent Graduation Success Rate (GSR) and 993 Academic Progress Rate (APR), highlighted by Furman’s Southern Conference leading six perfect (1,000) NCAA Public Recognition APR Awards, announced in June of 2022, are all indicative of the commitment to academic achievement.
collected SoCon Coach of the Year honors. In a testament to the strength of Paladin Athletics, during the 2020-21 school year Furman’s men’s sports program won the Commissioner Cup, given annually to the SoCon’s top men’s athletics program, a year after both the Paladin men and women paced the Commissioner and (women’s equivalent) Germann Cup competitions, respectively, by wide margins before athletic competition was suspended in mid-March due to the pandemic. In addition, Furman Athletics also extended its run of league-best annual finishes in Learfield IMG Directors’ Cup Competition to six in 2021. Less than six months into his tenure, Donnelly faced the challenge of leading a department heavily impacted by the COVID pandemic, which included the cancellation of the 2020 spring and fall competition seasons, significant financial challenges, and a realignment of sports sponsorships. Through it all, he worked closely with campus leaders, the SoCon, and the NCAA regarding changes in scheduling and legislation that impacted the welfare of student-athletes, coaches, and staff. That effective guidance helped pave the way for Furman’s impressive return to full competition.
Mirroring the impressive academic results has been remarkable athletic accomplishment, underscoring Furman’s commitment to SoCon success and fielding nationally competitive programs. Despite Donnelly’s still young tenure as athletic director, which encompassed the COVID-shortened 2020-21 competition year, Paladin teams have already won 16 SoCon championships and made 10 NCAA Tournament appearances during his time in Greenville, with 15 student-athletes earning SoCon Player of the Year honors, including women’s golfer Anna Morgan and cross country/track standout Cameron Ponder, who combined to sweep of the 2021-22 SoCon Athlete of the Year awards for the first time in school history.
While managing a department through a unique period in its history, Donnelly kept a keen eye on ensuring the future viability of Paladin Athletics through the development and launch earlier this year of “Inspiring Greatness: Furman Athletics Strategic Plan 2022-26” — a roadmap of priorities for student-athlete well-being and performance; academic success and leadership development; financial sustainability and accountability with an emphasis on philanthropy and revenue generation; competitive excellence; and goals for bestin-class facilities. In addition, it outlined the Paladins’ firm commitment to the ideals of diversity, equity, and
Twenty Paladins have garnered All-America accolades during Donnelly’s tenure, including women’s golfer Natalie Srinivasan who was named 2021 PING WGCA National Player of the Year and received the prestigious ANNIKA Award. In addition, eight Furman coaches have 27
