CONTENTS n n n - of College Football Games

The Un i v e r s i T y of Ak r o n • 2008 fo o T b A l l Me d i A GU i d e
DEPARTMENT OF INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETICS
MAr y Lu Gr i b s c h A w
Senior Associate AD/Senior Woman Administrator
14th Year
Robert Morris, 1984
Mary Lu Gribschaw was elevated to her current
post on July 1, 2004 after serving as the associate
athletics director/senior woman administrator since
Jan. 11, 1999. Prior to that, she served three and
one-half years as the Zips’ academic advisor for athletics.
In her 14th year at The University of Akron, Gribschaw is the senior woman
administrator and charged with coordinating team services for eight (volleyball,
golf, men’s and women’s soccer, swimming, women’s basketball,
women’s tennis and softball) of UA’s 19 sports. She also oversees the Zips’
academic advising, NCAA Champs Life Skills and sports medicine support
functions. She additionally serves on the NCAA Men’s Soccer Committee.
Gribschaw held two positions at Old Dominion University (1991-95) before
coming to Akron. She was assistant to the vice president for student
services for two years and was promoted to academic advisor for studentathletes/director
of life skills for two years. She served for almost two and
one-half years as dean of student services at Commonwealth College in
Norfolk, Va.
A native of Pittsburgh, Gribschaw received her B.S. in 1984 from Robert
Morris and her M.S. in education from Old Dominion in 1993. She and her
husband, Ken, reside in Akron with their sons, seven-year-old Aaron and
four-year-old Aidan.
hun T e r yu r A c h e k
Executive Senior Associate AD
Third Year
Guilford, 1990
Hunter Yurachek is in his third year at the University
of Akron, where he serves as executive senior
associate athletics director. In his post, he oversees
marketing and promotions, media relations, ticket
operations, development, video operations and merchandising. In addition
to those tasks, he is the sport administrator for men’s basketball, men’s
golf and women’s golf, while working closely with ISP - which handles UA’s
radio network, sponsorships and advertising.
During his two year at Akron, the athletics department has witnessed an
increase in attendance at football and men’s basketball, ticket sales and
merchandising each year.
Prior to coming to Akron, Yurachek spent the previous two years as the
associate athletics director for marketing at the University of Virginia. While
there, the marketing and promotions unit experienced unprecedented success,
directing three-consecutive football season-ticket sellouts and increasing
football ticket revenues from $7.3 million to $9.8 million in 2006.
The baseball program established season attendance records in both the
2005 and ‘06, and also sold out the reserved seating area each year. The
Cavaliers established single-game attendance records for football (four
times), baseball, men’s soccer and men’s lacrosse during Yurachek’s tenure.
Yurachek spent four years (2001-04) as senior associate athletics director
at Western Carolina University, and two years at Vanderbilt University
(1998-2000) as an assistant athletics director and director of marketing and
promotions.
The native of Charlotte, N.C., began his career in athletics administration
at Wake Forest University (1994-98) as the assistant director of marketing
and promotions.
Yurachek graduated from Guilford College in 1990 where he was a fouryear
letterwinner on the basketball team. He received his master’s degree in
sports administration from the University of Richmond in 1994.
Yurachek and his wife, Jennifer, have three sons: Ryan (12), Jake (8) and
Brooks (4).
PA u L hA M M o n d
Associate AD/Facilities and Operations
Seventh Year
Wooster, 1982
Paul Hammond is in his seventh year with the Zips
after being appointed assistant athletics director for
facilities and operations in June of 2002, and adding
the title of associate to his name in August of 2007.
His responsibilities involve the operations of all Zips facilities, including
the scheduling and maintenance of the Rubber Bowl, James A. Rhodes
Arena, Lee R. Jackson Field, Memorial Hall and the Stile Field House. In addition,
he oversees the maintenance and custodial staffs within the athletics
department as well as any special events and outside organizations making
use of UA’s facilities. He is also the sport administrator for the Zip baseball
program.
Hammond’s work load took a dramatic jump over the past year working
on all facets of the InfoCision Stadium/Summa Field on-campus football
facility. Over the past three years, every UA athletics facility has undergone
improvements while rentals for UA facilities has increased each year.
Hammond came to Akron after 13 years of service as assistant to the
athletics director at his alma mater, The College of Wooster (Ohio).
While at Wooster, Hammond was responsible for the athletics team
equipment operation, home game and event management, site manager
for several NCAA postseason tournaments, developing department budget
planning and purchasing procedures, and athletics department liaison to
physical facilities services.
After graduating from Wooster in 1982 with a B.A. in physical education,
Hammond earned an M.A. in physical education with a concentration in
sports administration from Kent State University in 1983. While at KSU he
served as assistant baseball coach from 1981-84.
From 1984-87 Hammond was an assistant basketball and baseball
coach at Lancaster High. He went on to spend two years as an assistant
basketball coach at Denison University from 1987-89.
Hammond and his wife Michelle reside in Kent with their two sons,
13-year-old Andrew and 11-year-old Matthew.
Mik e ro d r i G u e z
Associate AD/Business
22nd Year
Cleveland State, 1982
A member of UA’s athletics staff since 1987, Mike
Rodriguez has worn several hats during his 21 years
at The University. He was appointed associate athletics
director for business in July of 2004. Prior to
that, he had been the assistant AD for that department for five and one-half
years, and also was interim athletics director from May-October of 2000.
Rodriguez oversees fiscal matters, insurance, awards, the department’s
relationship with the Varsity “A” Association, strength and conditioning, rifle
and men’s and women’s track and field.
Over the last two years under Rodriguez, Akron athletics ended the year
with a balanced budget, even producing a $51,496 surplus in 2006-07. For
2008-09, Rodriguez had the challenge of presenting a zero-based budget,
which in turn helped Akron athletics see the Board of Trustees approve an
all-time high of $16.7 million for the fiscal year.
Rodriguez came to Akron in 1987 as athletics ticket manager and was
elevated to business manager in January, 1992. He served as assistant director
of the Davidson College Wildcat Club for four years (1983-87) before
moving back to his native northeast Ohio.
He earned his business administration degree from Cleveland State in
1982 and was a varsity baseball player for the Vikings. Rodriguez received
his M.S. in sports administration from Ohio in 1983.
Rodriguez and his wife, Tracy, reside in Sagamore Hills with children Megan
(21), Rachel (19) and Alex (13). Megan is a member of the UA volleyball
team and Rachel plays volleyball at Bucknell.
Akron’s 66th and Final Season at the Rubber Bowl 145