Biography for Dr. Bren Stevens-2022
Following a storied career as the head volleyball coach for nineteen years at the University of Charleston, Dr. Bren Stevens was selected to lead the Department of Athletics on January 23, 2012. Since being promoted to Director of Athletics, Stevens has taken the athletics program to new heights. Under her watch, the Golden Eagles captured the inaugural Commissioner’s Cup for the Mountain East Conference in 2014 and secured first-place finishes in 2016, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022. This award goes to the institution with the best overall athletics program based on how each sport finishes during its conference season.
Dr. Stevens has been highly involved with the NCAA, NACDA, and Women Leaders in College Sports over the years and served as the NCAA II Vice Chair of Management Council as well as on numerous NCAA committees such as Planning and Finance, Championships, Administrative Council, Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects in Sports, NCAA II Branding and Identity Committee, NCAA Volleyball, and Softball RAC Committees. Additionally, Dr. Stevens served on NACWAA’s Title IX Committee and is a NACWAA/HERS and Executive Institute graduate. In 2013, Dr. Stevens was appointed to serve on NACDA’s D2ADA Board of Directors, in which she serves as a facilitator for the NCAA II and D2 ADA mentoring program for women and minorities. The National Association for Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) announced in July 2021 that Dr. Stevens would be serving as the President of the D2 Athletic Directors Association. Lastly, Bren was a highly decorated four-sport honoree during her time at Morris Harvey College/UC as a competitive athlete, and later, she was inducted into the prestigious UC Hall of Fame in 2006.
With more than two decades of progressive executive experience in intercollegiate athletics and specialized skills in the areas of strategic planning, budget management, culture building, emotional intelligence, and diversity and inclusion, Dr. Stevens has been able to restructure the department to function as a destination for the nation’s top DII athletes. The UC Athletics Program secured its first-ever top 25 finish in the Learfield Cup Standings for the 2021-22 academic year with a 17th place finish.
Since taking over at the helm of the athletic department, Stevens has had 70 different teams advance to the NCAA tournament in the following sports: men’s soccer (9), men’s basketball (4), women’s basketball (4), women’s tennis (9), men’s tennis (8), men’s golf (11), women’s golf (3), softball (3), women’s soccer (3), football (1), baseball (4) men’s cross country (4) Women’s cross country (1), women’s track (3), and men’s track (3). Additional highlights include two National Championship Men’s Soccer Titles in 2017 and 2019. Moreover, the Lady Eagles Softball Team advanced to the World Series, and men’s golf, men’s cross country, and baseball programs progressed to NCAA Regional and National Finals
What is even more impressive is that the number of student-athletes on campus has increased from (311) in 2012 to (614) in 2022. Dr. Stevens is committed to academic excellence, and during the past ten years, approximately 712 athletes have been inducted into Chi Alpha Sigma, a national athlete honor society. Students that are recipients of this honor must achieve an overall 3.4 GPA or higher and have completed 60 or more hours in their declared majors.
Dr. Stevens led the charge to include additional athletic participation opportunities for the students of UC. Women’s golf, men’s outdoor track, men’s indoor track, men’s cross country, women’s indoor track, men’s volleyball, women’s lacrosse, developmental baseball, developmental women’s volleyball, and developmental men’s soccer programs have been added in recent years. Bren was instrumental in finding an NCAA DI home for the men’s volleyball program as a member of the Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (EIVA).
More than anything else, the University of Charleston is the beneficiary of Bren’s integrity, optimism, relentless energy, and dedication to everyone involved with the UC athletics program. Stevens developed the first-ever Strategic Plan for the Athletic Department in which she and her staff focus daily on academic excellence, competitive success, program integrity, and external outreach. In 2019, Dr. Stevens was promoted to the role of Vice President and now serves as a preeminent leader on the President’s Cabinet.