Marshalltown Community College Director of Athletics, Dan Huntley has announced his resignation after having served four years in the position. Huntley has accepted a position as Assistant Athletic Director for Internal Operations at the University of Mary, an NCAA Division II institution and member of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference located in Bismarck, ND.
“I would like to thank Dr. Robin Lilienthal and Dr. Chris Duree for allowing me to be part of the MCC and IVCCD family,” Huntley said. “I am proud to have been part of the Marshalltown community, and I want to thank all who have supported me in this position as we worked to better the student-athlete experience here at MCC. I believe that we have raised the level of support for our student-athletes and we have seen some great things from them over the past four years. I thank our coaches and staff, who have worked side by side with me to set and accomplish many of our goals in support of student-athlete success. I am very proud to have been part of the Tiger Nation and to have been a part of seeing so many student-athletes leave MCC as better people, better athletes and better citizens.”
Huntley began his tenure at MCC in January of 2012 as Director of Athletics and Student Life, and transitioned to Director of Athletics in December 2013 to focus on day-to-day activity in the MCC Athletic Department and increase fundraising revenue.
Several initiatives have been implemented under Huntley’s leadership. The overall student-athlete Fall 2015 GPA has reached an all-time high of 2.934. Student-athletes have been trained in bystander intervention, gender roles in dating, and character/leadership development.
The fundraising efforts have improved over the last four years as the athletic department saw significant revenue increases. Infrastructure has been enhanced both at Tiger Athletics venues and on the internet with development of a comprehensive Tiger Athletic website (www.mccathletics.com), which provides up-to-date information on the student-athletes, games, results, statistics, alumni, and information on camps, clinics, and community service activities.
On the playing surfaces, teams have reached all-time highs, including the MCC Men’s Soccer team that appeared at the 2012 NCAA National Tournament and completed an undefeated regular season in 2015. The MCC Baseball team reached its first-ever NJCAA District Tournament in 2014. The MCC Softball team won a program-best 33 games in 2014 and finished third in the NJCAA Region XI Tournament, its best finish in program history.
“This experience has made me a better person and a better leader,” Huntley added. “I know my time at MCC will allow me to be a better leader in the future because of those with whom I have come in contact. I am excited for this new path in my career at the University of Mary. We have family that live in Bismarck and I have a few long-standing professional relationships with a few of the staff members at U Mary already, so the transition should be made much easier with their support.”
MCC Provost Dr. Robin Lilienthal expressed her gratitude for Huntley’s time at MCC. “Dan has provided strong leadership and vision for Tiger Athletics over the past four years. I appreciate the positive contributions he has made for our student-athletes both on and off the field.”
MCC will undergo a national search, which will begin in January, for the next athletic director. “Until the position is filled,” Dr. Lilienthal adds, “we have wonderful coaches and athletic department staff who will continue to keep Tiger Athletics moving forward.”
