Flying Fleet
Club President Steve Southwell and Chip Sherer
Flying Fleet Club Board Honors Outgoing Athletic Director Chip Sherer
This week’s meeting of the Flying Fleet Club board of directors marked a time of change as the group said goodbye to outgoing athletic director Chip Sherer and several board members.
Sherer is leaving Erskine June 30 for a job in private business, while board members Tony Caricari, Scott Davis, Scott Williams and Mark Wilson are rotating off the board.
The board heard from men’s basketball coach Mark Peeler, who will assume his duties as athletic director July 1. Peeler updated the board about changes in athletic department administration.
Peeler said Erskine graduate Tiffany Mast ’03 has been hired as the new sports information director/events manager. Athletic trainer Toby Harkins is taking on additional responsibilities as assistant athletic director and Alumni Director Ralph Patterson will assist with athletic department fund-raising.
Sherer said from a success standpoint, Flying Fleet teams had their best season overall this past year since he became athletic director. “The train is moving,” he said, adding that consistency is needed.
“For us, the key is to keep coaches,” Peeler said.
The board learned of the hiring of two new soccer coaches. Ben Freakley is the new men’s coach and Serge Lipovetsky is the new women’s coach.
Sherer also spoke to the board about the progress of the Gold Campaign.
The goal of the athletics portion of the campaign is $4 million — intended almost entirely for scholarships — and $2.5 million has been raised to this point, Sherer said.
Monty Wooley, vice president for student services and athletics, expressed disappointment about Sherer’s departure and lauded the Erskine graduate’s work.
“Chip came at a time that was very important for this institution as we moved from NAIA to NCAA Division II,” Wooley said. “Chip was the right person at the right time.”
Wooley said enrollment is “holding steady” and the average SAT score of the incoming freshmen is 1100.
The Flying Fleet Club Board of Directors, from left, first row: Mark Smith, Scott Williams, Gregory Cole, President Steve Southwell, Grace Lyle and Secretary Mickie Ellis; second row: Scott Davis, Mark Wilson, Tony Caricari, Al Bannister and President-Elect Gregory Owen.
