Greensboro College looks to their Past to build their Future in Athletics:The Interview with Kim Strable, back at GC, as the Pride AD

It was announced this week that Kim Stable has returned to Greensboro College and he will be the GC Pride athletic director again, a job he once held down for 20 years…We caught up with Kim Stable, and were able to check in with the former and now new GC AD, and with Kim back at Greensboro College, we also take a look back at his career with the Greensboro College Pride and then after the Greensboro College Pride…

Greensboro College has welcomed back Hall of Famer Kim Strable as director of athletics, a position he previously had held for 20 years.

In his role, he will oversee the college’s 17-sport NCAA Division III athletic program, ensuring compliance with NCAA rules and regulations. He will begin his duties in June.

Kim Strable comes back to Greensboro College from the Greensboro Sports Foundation, where he has served as deputy director since January 2019. Previously, he had served for nine years as president of the Greensboro Sports Commission, helping secure and service sporting events to produce a strong economic impact for Greensboro and the Triad.

Here we go with our Questions for Kim Stable, now back in the fold at Greensboro College, on West Market Street, in downtown Greensboro….

1)How good does it feel to be back at Greensboro College?
Kim Strable:Andy, I couldn’t be happier to have the opportunity to return to a special place that gave me an opportunity as a 36 year old to become a college athletics director!

2)How does this move help you and in turn, help them at Greensboro College??
KS:Well, my wife and I fell in love with Greensboro from day one when we moved here in 1987, and we’ve had no interest whatsoever in leaving this community, so that alone makes this an incredible opportunity for us. But to your point, it allows me to take my career experience and put it to good use.

Because GC is land-locked next to downtown, we had to make alot of friends to help us with facilities to expand the athletics program, which had the bare minimum of 4 women’s and 4 men’s sports to be an NCAA member when I arrived in 1989. We went from 8 sports to 16 in less than a decade and added large-roster sports like lacrosse, football, baseball, and fast-pitch softball. We still depend on the community to help us and I hope to continue and strengthen those relationships that can create win-win situations.

3)How have things changed since you left Greensboro College and what changes can you still make, to make Greensboro College better???
KS:It is no secret that GC has struggled financially and with a small endowment it poses some very real challenges. They’ve weathered some heavy storms but stability has returned which makes the entire GC family hopeful for the future. Since I have been so busy working in the sports tourism industry the past 11 years, I really can’t give you any specifics about what has changed and what improvements still need to be made. All I know is that the mission of the college has not waivered and is committed to providing a great education that can simultaneously be enhanced with a a vibrant, competitive intercollegiate athletics program.

4)What do remember most about your first stop at Greensboro College????
KS:I remember in my first year that we had such a small coaching staff that I was able to hold our first departmental staff meeting in my office! The college had an aggressive mindset to grow the enrollment which really gave me the opportunity to promote the addition of several sports that could help achieve those student enrollment goals. The golf team was a nationally prominent program but it was our men’s soccer team that earned its first conference tournament title and NCAA automatic bid that they rode all the way to the championship game that started our engines. That 1989 soccer season raised eyebrows for all and was just the thing we needed to start thinking big and building a sustainable winning culture.

5)Things you learned at the Greensboro Sports Commission and at the Greensboro Sports Foundation that can help you, as you head back to GC?????
KS:The success of ‘Tournament Town’ in my view has been the strong recognition that relationship building was absolutely critical to attracting sporting events large and small from all over the country. A reputation for superior hospitality is still Greensboro’s calling card and when you couple that with great facilities, know-how, and predictably solid hosting performances, your rights holder want to come back again and again. So I learned that you take the cards you are dealt and you play aggressively and with confidence, and positive results will happen.

**********Bonus Questions…**********
Part I:How do you improve the resources at Greensboro College?
KS:It starts with passionately believing in your product, because those with resources want to support and be aligned with successful enterprises. Greensboro College is an asset that helps enrich our community in so many ways as we are part of an incredible collection of higher educational institutions, which is remarkable for a city of our size. We will need to continue convincing others that we are making a difference and hope they will want to partner and help GC thrive.

Part II:How exciting is it to have the Women’s Wrestling program set to start up in the Fall of 2020??
KS:Hey, being unique and willing to expand your horizons is a great mindset! As you see the growth of girls wrestling across the country you realize that an athlete’s passion and love for their support will lead them to places where all of that can be expressed. It will be both fun and interesting to see if we can generate some traction with this emerging sport for women!

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