MORGANTOWN, W.Va. -- West Virginia President Gordon Gee announced on Monday that Shane Lyons, WVU alum and current deputy director of athletics at Alabama, has been named director of intercollegiate athletics and associate vice president at West Virginia, effective in February.
Gee said Lyons, with nearly 30 years of administrative experience in intercollegiate athletics, is one of the most respected and skilled professionals in the field with extensive knowledge in strategic planning, compliance and policy implementation at the conference and national levels.
"We are delighted to welcome Shane Lyons back to his home state of West Virginia and to his alma mater," Gee said. "He brings a wealth of experience in both university and conference athletics administration. In addition, as a graduate of West Virginia [University], Shane understands what it means to be a Mountaineer. We look forward to him joining our team and leading our athletic department to new heights."
Lyons has spent the past three years working closely on day-to-day strategic leadership and direction with Alabama athletic directors – the late Mal Moore and current AD Bill Battle.
"It is truly a dream come true for me to return to my home state and to WVU as director of intercollegiate athletics and associate vice president. I would like to thank Dr. Gee for the confidence he has placed in me," Lyons said. "I have followed the Mountaineers closely ever since I left Morgantown after graduate school, and I have been consistently impressed with the success that WVU student-athletes have had on the playing fields and in the classroom, as well as the positive impact Mountaineer student-athletes have in the community.
"As a leader, I will continue to push our department to strive for excellence in everything we do, and I am looking forward to the tremendous opportunities that lie ahead. I am inspired by the unparalleled support of Mountaineer Nation, and my family and I are very excited to become part of the Morgantown community."
Prior to joining the Alabama staff in November 2011, Lyons spent 10 years as an associate commissioner at the Atlantic Coast Conference. At the ACC, Lyons focused on conference-wide compliance and academic initiatives, providing direct assistance to the conference's presidents, chancellors and athletics directors in matters dealing with NCAA regulatory matters.
In addition, he served as the ACC’s human resource manager and was responsible for the administration, negotiation and mediation of the employee benefits program and managing the conference's organizational policies and procedures. He was part of the administrative team for ACC events, including the football championship game, the men's basketball tournament and men's and women's NCAA basketball events. He also completed a term as chairman of the NCAA’s Division I Legislative Council in addition to serving on other committees.
