Alma, MI - After 14 years in the Alma College Athletics department, Vice President/Director of Athletics Sarah Dehring will be transitioning out of her role in athletics and into the position of senior director of alumni and family engagement in the Alma College Advancement Office.
"Having the opportunity to lead the Alma College Athletics department, our student-athletes, alumni, coaches, and staff has been the greatest honor of my professional life," said Dehring.
"I will be forever grateful for the experiences, support, memories, challenges, and so much more that Alma College has provided me. The coaches, administrators, and staff are committed to providing an exceptional student-athlete experience for our teams and I'm excited to see Alma College Athletics continue to shine. Alma College is a special place filled with incredible people who strive to serve the college's mission each day. I am excited to have the opportunity to remain at Alma College and serve as the senior director of alumni and family engagement in our Advancement Office. This department is filled with enthusiastic and driven individuals, and I am looking forward to working with their team. Forever, GO SCOTS!"
Dehring joined Alma College in 2011 as head volleyball coach. After moving into athletic administration, she was named the 2017 College STUNT Association Administrator of the Year, and she received the 2017 Alma College Presidential Award for Excellence. She had served as Alma College's athletic director since October 2019, being named to the post following a national search. Prior to taking the lead job in the department, Dehring served as associate athletics director from 2013-19, also serving as the senior woman administrator from 2016-20.
Named to her post of vice president in July of 2022, Dehring was a member of the Presidential Cabinet. She acted as the voice of athletics, as well as assisting in the upholding of Alma's policies, curriculum and strategic plan in support of the college's mission.
"Throughout her nearly 15 years with Alma College Athletics, Sarah Dehring has demonstrated time and again that she is committed to providing a transformational experience for our student-athletes," Interim President Eric Blackhurst said. "In a similar way, she has transformed our Athletics department and made an enormous impact on the college as a whole. I am extremely excited that she has taken on this new role and look forward to seeing all she brings to the Advancement Office."
Her support of coaches, staff, and the student-athlete experience was unrivaled. She also helped to put an emphasis on serving others and led by example. Dehring was instrumental in bringing "Helper Helper" to Alma's campus, with the Scots coming in as the Division III national leaders in service hours in back-to-back years. She also served on the NCAA Volleyball Championships Committee, working behind the scenes to help provide the best championship experience possible to all Division III student-athletes.
Alma's facilities also saw an upgrade under Dehring's leadership. This was led by the addition of a home base for the golf programs in the Stone Recreation Center, the addition of The Sanctuary to mark Alma as one of the only schools in the country with a standalone facility for a dance program, and the addition of the newly completed Andrus Family Field House. The field house serves as an indoor home to track and field, also servicing lacrosse, football, baseball, softball and a variety of non-athletic programs.
Under her direction, Dehring aided the department in growing from 600 student-athletes to more than 750, and she was a key player in the addition of both the Esports and women's wrestling programs. Scots Athletics saw success on the national stage, winning 19 national championships (9 dance, 4 cheer, 4 STUNT, 2 bowling)
Alma also made strides on the conference level, with milestone moments in a number of different sports. Alma College Football won back-to-back undefeated MIAA championships for the first time since 1968. The Scots were represented on the national stage, as Alma hosted four NCAA playoff games, including Alma's first-ever NCAA quarterfinal appearance in football. This appearance came on the heels of Alma knocking off powerhouse program Mount Union on the road, which some have called one of the biggest upsets in the history of DIII football. Esports also won their first conference championship in spring 2022.
Following Dehring's transition, Kiana Verdugo-Maday will serve as interim director of athletics. Verdugo-Maday is in her fifth year at Alma, and currently serves as assistant vice president for athletics.
"When I came to Alma in 2020, a big part of my decision was the opportunity to work alongside Sarah Dehring," said Verdugo-Maday. "From the start, Sarah has been an incredible mentor, giving me the autonomy to grow while also offering consistent support throughout my journey. Over the past five years, the opportunities I've had have built my confidence in both my own abilities, and the strength of the team we have in place (coaches and administrators). Together, we work hard to ensure our student-athletes have the best experience possible. Being entrusted with the chance to build on Sarah's legacy and continue serving our student-athletes truly is a privilege."
A national search for Alma College's next director of athletics will begin shortly.
