ENMU hires Waggoner as new athletic director

The search for ENMU’s new athletic director has come to a close. On Wednesday, the university announced that Western State Colorado University Athletic Director Greg Waggoner will fulfill the same role for Greyhound athletics on June 1.

Waggoner has served as the athletic director at Western State for 20 years. During his time as athletic director, Western State won 11 NCAA Division-II national championships, with 97 national “Top 10” team finishes, 32 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) team championships and has been in the “Top 44” of the NCAA DII Director's Cup standings for the last 19 years.

Current ENMU AD Jeff Geiser, who is retiring in July and will spend June aiding in the transition, said he is happy with the selection made by President Steven Gamble.

“Greg is a blue collar guy,” said Geiser, who knew Waggoner while he was athletic director at Adams State. “He’s a coach’s athletic director, he’s spent many years as a wrestling coach, a football coach. I think he’s going to be great for Eastern. The (search) committee and the president made a wise decision. I’m excited.”

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While Geiser and Waggoner were rival athletic directors, the two put together the Colorado Classic, an annual football game between the two colleges, much like the Wagon Wheel game with ENMU and West Texas A&M.

“Adams State and Western State are traditional rivals,” Geiser said. “We worked together to get that game going. Greg and I decided we were going to play that football game in Pueblo because Pueblo didn’t have a football team. I think the first year we did it we had 8,000 people attend the game at the high school.”

For Waggoner, the decision to come to Eastern was largely due to ENMU President Jeff Gamble.

“I’m familiar with Dr. Gamble’s reputation,” Waggoner said. “I’m somewhat familiar with ENMU because we’re in the same region. I’ve got friends and family in New Mexico. The more research I did, and when I had my on-campus visit, it became very obvious that this place is in good shape in terms of leadership and how people interact with each other.”

In addition to his experience with Gamble, Waggoner was very impressed with how the university has put together the new football stadium, something he said he’s looking forward to see completed.

“Being familiar with Dr. Geiser, I think he’s done a great job with the people he’s put together,” he said. “The groundwork that he’s laid, including the opening of the new stadium, that’s a big deal. I know it takes a lot of people to put something like that together. I’m honored to have been extended this opportunity.”