Shenandoah University Names New Athletic Director

DeShon Foxx has been named Shenandoah University’s seventh athletic director after an internal search, SU President Tracy Fitzsimmons, Ph.D, announced on Friday. Foxx will begin his new role as Assistant Vice President & Athletic Director on July 29.

It is a tremendous honor to be named athletic director at Shenandoah University. In my time here, I have been continually inspired by the incredible dedication and talent of our coaches and student-athletes. Their hard work and passion are the heart of our athletics program. I look forward to building on our successes, establishing and promoting a culture of excellence, inclusivity and empowerment, and elevating our athletics program to even greater achievements. I want to sincerely thank President Fitzsimmons for entrusting me with this role.”  

– DeShon Foxx

Brian Wigley, Ph.D. will continue to serve as interim athletic director until Foxx assumes the role and will ensure a smooth transition this fall. Wigley has served as interim twice before, once in 2012 and again in 2017. He is a faculty athletics representative and is a member of the NCAA Division III Management Council. 

“I’m excited about the new direction of our athletic department,” Wigley also said about mentoring Foxx. “I look forward to working with DeShon closely in the future. As Shenandoah University’s Director of Intercollegiate Athletics, he will oversee a department with 22 intercollegiate sports, nearly 600 student-athletes and 75 full- and part-time coaches and staff members. I know he can elevate all of our sports.”

Foxx is a former Division I football student-athlete at the University of Connecticut and played in the National Football League with both the Seattle Seahawks and the New York Jets. He earned a Master of Science in Sport Management from UConn while working as a program director of Husky Sport at the school. Before joining Shenandoah University in 2021, Foxx worked as an assistant professor and assistant football coach at Washington & Lee University. 

Foxx was the first-ever assistant athletic director for student success, inclusion, and equity at Shenandoah University. In that role, he served as the department’s compliance director and held a leadership position with the department’s RED (racial, equity and diversity) team. 

In 2022, Foxx transitioned to advancement within Shenandoah University and has served as the Assistant Vice President for Advancement with oversight of major gift efforts that topped record-breaking fundraising. Foxx focused on athletics fundraising with an eye to creating better stewarding processes.  

Foxx also is an adjunct professor of sport law in the School of Business and one of the university’s diversity officers. Foxx will receive his Ph.D. in Sociology from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in 2025 with a research focus in higher education and organizational leadership.

“DeShon quickly rose to the top during our internal candidate selection process. His experience, leadership, and passion for student-athletes are impressive and inspiring. He brings a broad perspective from his professional athletic journey and his past coaching role, fundraising and relationship building experience, and his pursuit of higher learning,”  Dr. Fitzsimmons said. “I am grateful to Dr. Wigley for his voice and guidance in the search process.”

With Foxx at the helm, Shenandoah University is set to embark on an exciting new chapter for its athletics program within the Old Dominion Athletic Conference. His commitment to servant leadership and his vision will drive the Hornets to greater heights, building on a strong foundation to foster increased success for our student-athletes in athletics and academics.

For more information about Shenandoah University athletics, please visit suhornets.com.