Now in his 11th year as Director of Athletics at Campbell University, Stan Williamson oversees a department that has flourished under his leadership.

During Williamson's tenure, Campbell athletes have enjoyed success in competition, as well as in the classroom, and have contributed to their surrounding community through service projects. 

Over the past four years, Campbell athletes have advanced to NCAA post-season competition in cross country, men's and women's golf, men's soccer, softball and men's and women's track and field.  During the 2005-06 academic year, Campbell University finished with the best combined men's and women's overall sports program in the Atlantic Sun Conference. 

For the last three years (2007-08, 2008-09, 2009-10), Campbell has posted the second-best finish among the 11 A-Sun men's programs.

The 1985 Louisiana Tech graduate oversees the 20-sport Fighting Camel program, which competes in the NCAA Division I Atlantic Sun Conference.  In Williamson's tenure, Campbell has added four varsity programs to its roster - men's and women's indoor track, women's swimming and football.

Over the last six academic years, Campbell student-athletes have compiled their highest cumulative grade-point averages in the department's history.  During 2009-10 Campbell athletes earned 171 academic honors between the A-Sun, Coastal Collegiate Swimming Association and Pioneer Football League.

Over the past 10 years, student-athlete and staff involvement in service to the community has increased 200 percent.  CU yearly athletic community service hours routinely exceed the 2,000-hour level in Williamson's tenure, including more than 3,500 hours in 2009-10.

In Williamson's first 10 years in Buies Creek, the University's athletic department has established new all-time highs in its fund-raising efforts.  He oversaw a capital campaign that raised funds for the construction of the McLeod Athletic Training Facility, which opened in August 2004 and serves the athletic training program as well as the men's and women's soccer and softball teams at the Eakes Athletic Complex.

Williamson was also heavily involved in Campbell's efforts to raise funds for the John W. Pope Jr. Convocation Center and Gilbert Craig Gore Arena serves as home court for the Fighting Camel basketball volleyball and wrestling teams.  In addition, he oversaw the feasibility study and return in 2008 of the varsity football program.  He also is involved in the ongoing push to complete funding for the University's new football stadium as well as its newly-completed Irwin Belk track and field complex.

Under his guidance, Campbell completed a study which the Board of Trustees unanimously approved to re-join the Big South Conference in 2011-12.

"Our challenge is to promote the program in a way that gives Campbell an improved image regionally and nationally," said Williamson.  "A great deal of my time is spent in 'friend-raising.'  Obviously, external funds are needed to support the program, but we want more people to be involved."

Williamson's "friend-raising" efforts have been evident as he has established the highly-successful annual Homecoming Golf Tournament as well as the department's annual reverse drawing banquet.  Under his guidance, Campbell has established a Monogram Club for current and former letter winners, as well as a recent graduate membership designation for the Fighting Camel (Booster) Club.

At Campbell, he serves on the University's NCAA Certification Committee, Faculty Athletics Committee, as well as the Multi-Cultural Council.

During his first year at Campbell, Williamson also directed the Fighting Camel program through the NCAA Certification second cycle process.

In addition to his duties on campus where he oversees a department that field 20 NCAA Division I teams, Williamson serves a key role within the NCAA, Atlantic Sun Conference and Pioneer Football League structure.

Williamson has served on a number of NCAA and Atlantic Sun Conference committees including the NCAA Division I Legislative Council and the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision Governance Committee.  Currently, Williamson serves as Chair of the NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics, which studies and makes policy recommendations concerning opportunities for women in athletics at the institutional, conference and national levels and seeks to expand and promote opportunities for female student-athletes, administrators and coaches.  In addition, Williamson represents the Pioneer Football League as a board member of the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) Athletics Directors Association.

As a member of the NCAA Division I Amateurism Fact-Finding Committee, Williamson is engaged making a determination of facts related to the certification of a prospective student-athlete's amateur status on request of an institution.  He is also trained as a certified NCAA peer reviewer.

In years past, Williamson has served as chair of the Atlantic Sun Conference Membership Committee, Tournament Committee and Athletic Administrators Committee as well as Vice President of the A-Sun Executive Committee. Williamson has also served on the Atlantic Sun Conference Sport Policy Committee and Student-Athlete Welfare Committee and as liaison to the Golf Coaches Committee and the Men's Soccer Coaches Committee.

Since Williamson's arrival, Campbell has served as host of eight Atlantic Sun Conference Championships, including the 2004 men's and women's golf tournaments at Keith Hills Country Club, the '04 Women's Soccer Championship at the Eakes Athletic Complex, and the 2005 Cross Country Championships.  Campbell also hosted the Atlantic Sun Women's Golf Championship in 2007, the 2008 and 2009 men's soccer tournaments and 2009 men's golf championship.

Williamson assumed his position as Director of Athletics at Campbell on Aug. 31, 2000.  He joined the Fighting Camel program after serving as Director of Athletics at Nicholls State University in Louisiana from December 1998-2000.

During his tenure at Nicholls State, Williamson guided the Colonels program through the NCAA Certification process.  In addition, NSU improved its equity in athletics standing and obtained status as an NCAA CHAMPS/Life Skills program.

Under Williamson's guidance, Nicholls State saw its marketing revenue increase dramatically.  He also organized the effort to successfully negotiate an agreement to host the New Orleans Saints NFL preseason training camp at Nicholls State, which brought over $1.2 million in capital improvements for facilities to the University, as well as a $3-4 million annual community economic impact.

Prior to his stint at Nicholls State, Williamson worked for more than four years as Assistant Athletics Director for Ticketing and Marketing at the University of Houston.  During his tenure at Houston, the Cougar football program moved back on campus into a renovated game facility.  The basketball arena underwent extensive renovations and the baseball team moved into a new facility.

Before moving to Houston, the Ruston, La., native was a member of the Georgia Southern University athletics staff for six years, first as assistant then as associate athletics director responsible for all of the department's business operations.  While Williamson was at Georgia Southern, the school played host to three NCAA Division I-AA football national championship games.

Williamson's athletics administration career began as an assistant high school basketball coach and junior high head coach from 1982-85 at Cedar Creek High School in Ruston, La.  He earned his M.B.A. from Louisiana Tech in 1986.  As an undergraduate, Williamson played one season on the varsity basketball squad.

He is a member of the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics, the National Association of Athletic Development Directors and the College Athletic Business Managers Association.  Locally, Williamson has served as President (2001-04) of the Harnett County Sports Club and on the Buies Creek Recreation Board of Directors.

Williamson is a member of Pleasant Union Christian Church, where he serves as a Sunday School teacher and deacon.  Williamson is married to the former Debbie Primeaux, who played on two Lady Techster national championship teams in 1981 and 1982, and currently teaches at North Carolina State University and serves as the NCAA Women's Basketball Secretary-Rules Editor.  The Williamson's have one daughter - Courtney - and two sons - Mark and Nathan.

(Aug. 2010)