Baseball • 2006 Universit University of South Carolina Upstate y of ...

USC Upstate Athletic AdministrationTami MathenyAssociate AthleticDirectorSenior Woman’sAdministratorJohn HandleyHead Athletic TrainerBarbara WhiteOffice ManagerTami Matheny is in her eighth year at USCUpstate and her third as associate athletic director.She was promoted from assistant athleticdirector in August 2002. As associate athleticdirector, she oversees all compliance and promotionsfor the department. She also serves as thesenior women’s administrator, a position she hasheld for five years. She was promoted to assistantathletic director in December 2000. Mathenystepped down as the head ocach of the men’s andwomen’s tennis teams in 2003.Matheny came to USC Upstate as the headtennis coach in 1998. During her five-year stintwith the tennis programs, she elevated the programsto levels never before seen. Just lastseason, the women’s team advanced to the NCAATournament for the first time ever and the men’steam advanced to the second round of the NCAATournament, also a first for the program. Previously,she served as tennis professional at UNCHospital and assistant pro at Tampa Yacht andCountry Club. In 1998, she served as a productionsassistant at the Lipton Tennis Tournament.Matheny graduated from Lenoir-Rhyne Collegewith a bachelor’s degree in psychology in 1993,and earned a master’s degree in sports administrationfrom the University of North Carolina in1999. She was named the 1993 NCAA Woman ofthe Year while at Lenoir-Rhyne.Bill EnglishAssistant AthleticDirectorfor Sports InformationBill English became USC Upstate’s third sportsinformation director on February 5, 2001. He is inhis second year as assistant athletic director. Hecame to USC Upstate after serving as the assistantsports information director at Wofford College.English is a 1993 graduate of Wofford with abachelor’s degree in government. Upon graduation,he worked for one year in the sports departmentat the Spartanburg Herald-Journal where hewas a writer covering high school football andbasketball and college basketball.English left the Herald-Journal to attend graduateschool at Appalachian State where he servedas a graduate assistant in the sports informationoffice and also working as a graduate assistant inthe physical education department while workingon his master’s degree in sport management, hewas inducted into the Alpha Epsilon Lambda graduateschool national honor fraternity in 1996.English is a member of CoSIDA (College SportsInformation Directors of America). He worked asthe official scorer for the Greenville Braves, theDouble-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves, in 2000.He is a member of Team Spartanburg,Spartanburg’s regional sports council, working onthe Publicity Committee.A native of Washington Court House, Ohio,English moved to Spartanburg with his family in1981.John Handley is in his second year as headathletic trainer. He came to the University as anassistant athletic trainer in September 2004, thentook over the head position in October of 2004.Handley is a native of Louisville, KY, graduatingfrom the University of Louisville in 1998 witha degree in Physical Education with a concentrationin Sports Medicine and Exercise Science. Whilea Cardinal, he worked with men’s and women’sbasketball, football, men’s and women’s soccer,and men’s and women’s swimming teams. Heserved as a graduate assistant athletic trainer in1999 and was the head athletic trainer for thebaseball team.He parlayed his baseball experience into workingas an athletic trainer in minor league baseballfrom 2000-02 and in 2004. He worked in the St.Louis Cardinals system from 2000-02, serving asthe head athletic trainer for the Johnson City Cardinals(rookie League affiliate) in 2000, the NewJersey Cardinals (rookie league affiliate) in 2001,and the Potomac Cannons (high level A affiliate)in 2002. He was the head athletic trainer for theKingsport Mets in 2004, a rookie league affiliate ofthe New York Mets. He worked as a shoulder andelbow rehabilitation specialist at ProgressiveHealthphysical therapy clinic in New Albany, IN, in 2002-03.George GainesDirector of AthleticFacilities and GameOperationsGeorge Gaines is in his sixth year at USCUpstate and his third as the director of athleticfacilities and operations. Gaines began workingwith USC Upstate athletics in 1999 when he enrolledin school after a 21-year military career.He was given the title of game management directorlast year. He is responsible for setup andbreakdown of athletic venues, ticket sales at soccermatches, and coordinating maintenance ofthe athletic facilities.A native of Sumter, SC, Gaines graduated fromSumter High School in 1976 and enrolled at USCSumter later that fall. After one semester at theschool, he enlisted in the Army. He worked incommunications throughout his four-year enlistmentterm. He left the Army in 1980 to pursuelife in the private sector, but re-enlisted later thatyear. He remained with the Army until 1996 havingserved for 21 years.Gaine worked in communications from 1976-85, working at bases throughout the country. Hewas stationed at Ft. Gordon (GA), Ft. Polk (LA),Ft. Huachuca (AZ), and Ft. Richardson (AK). From1985-96, he was a recruiter working out of Albany,NY, and the Spartanburg/Columbia, SC, areas.In addition to his work in the athletic department,Gaines is an operating partner in D&G BailBonds.Gaines and his wife, Brenda were married in1979 and have two children.Barbara White is in her third year as the administrativeassistant and office manager in the athleticdepartment. She is in her fifth year total atUSC Upstate.White previously served as an administrativespecialist in the advancement office at USC Upstate.White, a native of Texas, began her professionalcareer in 1984, working as a secretary atSt. John’s Episcopal Church in Florence, SC. Sheserved in that position for four years before acceptinga similar position at the Main Street UnitedMethodist Church in Columbia, SC, in 1988.After eight years at the Main Street UnitedMethodist Church, White became an administrativeassistant at Wachovia Bank in Columbia in1996. After two years of working at Wachovia,she accepted the position in the USC Upstateadvancement office in 1998.White earned a Business/Secretarial certificatefrom Draughn Business College in Dallas, TX, thenattended North Texas State for two years beforemoving to South Carolina.Traci FarringtonDevelopment DirectorTraci Farrington is in her second year as thedevelopment director at USC Upstate. In additionshe is an instructor in the physical education departmentas well as serving as assistant softballcoach as the pitching coach.Farrington returned to USC Upstate 14 yearsafter graduating from the University in 1989 witha bachelor’s degree in physical education. Sheplayed two years for the Lady Rifles softball teamas a pitcher, playing in 1987 and 1988. She wasnamed team Most Valuable Player in her final yearand, at one time, owned the single-game putouts(21) and assists (15) records. Previously, sheplayed two years at Spartanburg Methodist Collegewhere she was named to the Region X All-Region team.Farrington played two seasons on the volleyballteam, helping lead the Lady Rifles to theNAIA national tournament in 1988 and 1989. Shewas named the Senior Student-Athlete of the Year.Farrington later earned a Master’s of Educationdegree from Northeast Louisiana University (nowthe University of Louisiana-Monroe).Farrington has been a fixture in the coachingcircle for nearly 17 years. She has been a pitchinginstructor for all age groups and levels of playsince finishing her softball eligibility. In addition toserving as the pitching coach at East TennesseeState from 2000-02, she also produced the Coach’sChoice Video that taught technique in pitching.The video was distributed throughout the country.She has also been an instructor at several summeryouth camps over the years.A native of Hartsville, SC, Farrington and herhusband Jeff have two children.60