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Eric McNelly serves the University as Director of Athletics. In that role, he has overseen tremendous growth in the department through an emphasis on increasing opportunities for student athletes and developing athletic facilities.

In his first two years, McNelley oversaw projects to build a new softball field, resurface Olson Field and the Field Hockey Field, to make significant upgrades to both baseball and tennis facilities, the creation of an esports facility, and to completely renovate the competition space in the gym. While no existing area has been untouched, McNelley has plans to further build to serve the Eastern community and the student-athletes.

Under his leadership, Eastern coaches recruited the largest incoming class of student-athletes in department history in 2020. To help facilitate future growth, he has worked to build strong relationships with Advancement and Communications.

He came to Eastern with experience in college coaching and several successful stints as a basketball coach and athletic director at private Christian Schools in South Florida.

After one season as an assistant, McNelley was selected to lead Eastern Men’s Basketball. HIs teams won 57 games in four years and made the MAC Freedom Tournament in each of his final three seasons.