USC <strong>Upstate</strong> Athletic AdministrationTami MathenyAssociate AthleticDirectorSenior Woman’sAdministratorJohn HandleyHead Athletic TrainerBarbara WhiteOffice ManagerTami Matheny is in her eighth year at USC<strong>Upstate</strong> 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 <strong>of</strong> the men’s andwomen’s tennis teams in 2003.Matheny came to USC <strong>Upstate</strong> 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 <strong>of</strong> the NCAATournament, also a first for the program. Previously,she served as tennis pr<strong>of</strong>essional 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 <strong>Universit</strong>y <strong>of</strong> North <strong>Carolina</strong> in1999. She was named the 1993 NCAA Woman <strong>of</strong>the Year while at Lenoir-Rhyne.Bill EnglishAssistant AthleticDirectorfor Sports InformationBill English became USC <strong>Upstate</strong>’s third sportsinformation director on February 5, 2001. He is inhis second year as assistant athletic director. Hecame to USC <strong>Upstate</strong> after serving as the assistantsports information director at W<strong>of</strong>ford College.English is a 1993 graduate <strong>of</strong> W<strong>of</strong>ford 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 information<strong>of</strong>fice 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 <strong>of</strong> CoSIDA (College SportsInformation Directors <strong>of</strong> America). He worked asthe <strong>of</strong>ficial scorer for the Greenville Braves, theDouble-A affiliate <strong>of</strong> the Atlanta Braves, in 2000.He is a member <strong>of</strong> Team Spartanburg,Spartanburg’s regional sports council, working onthe Publicity Committee.A native <strong>of</strong> 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 <strong>Universit</strong>y as anassistant athletic trainer in September 2004, thentook over the head position in October <strong>of</strong> 2004.Handley is a native <strong>of</strong> Louisville, KY, graduatingfrom the <strong>Universit</strong>y <strong>of</strong> 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 <strong>of</strong>the New York Mets. He worked as a shoulder andelbow rehabilitation specialist at ProgressiveHealthphysical therapy clinic in New Albany, IN, in 2002-03.George GainesDirector <strong>of</strong> AthleticFacilities and GameOperationsGeorge Gaines is in his sixth year at USC<strong>Upstate</strong> and his third as the director <strong>of</strong> athleticfacilities and operations. Gaines began workingwith USC <strong>Upstate</strong> athletics in 1999 when he enrolledin school after a 21-year military career.He was given the title <strong>of</strong> game management directorlast year. He is responsible for setup andbreakdown <strong>of</strong> athletic venues, ticket sales at soccermatches, and coordinating maintenance <strong>of</strong>the athletic facilities.A native <strong>of</strong> 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 <strong>of</strong> 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 <strong>of</strong>fice manager in the athleticdepartment. She is in her fifth year total atUSC <strong>Upstate</strong>.White previously served as an administrativespecialist in the advancement <strong>of</strong>fice at USC <strong>Upstate</strong>.White, a native <strong>of</strong> Texas, began her pr<strong>of</strong>essionalcareer 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 <strong>of</strong> working at Wachovia,she accepted the position in the USC <strong>Upstate</strong>advancement <strong>of</strong>fice in 1998.White earned a Business/Secretarial certificatefrom Draughn Business College in Dallas, TX, thenattended North Texas State for two years beforemoving to <strong>South</strong> <strong>Carolina</strong>.Traci FarringtonDevelopment DirectorTraci Farrington is in her second year as thedevelopment director at USC <strong>Upstate</strong>. In additionshe is an instructor in the physical education departmentas well as serving as assistant s<strong>of</strong>tballcoach as the pitching coach.Farrington returned to USC <strong>Upstate</strong> 14 yearsafter graduating from the <strong>Universit</strong>y in 1989 witha bachelor’s degree in physical education. Sheplayed two years for the Lady Rifles s<strong>of</strong>tball 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 <strong>of</strong> the Year.Farrington later earned a Master’s <strong>of</strong> Educationdegree from Northeast Louisiana <strong>Universit</strong>y (nowthe <strong>Universit</strong>y <strong>of</strong> 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 <strong>of</strong> playsince finishing her s<strong>of</strong>tball 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 <strong>of</strong> Hartsville, SC, Farrington and herhusband Jeff have two children.60
Spartanburg, <strong>South</strong> <strong>Carolina</strong>From our rustic beginnings as a frontier trading post filled with Scotch-Irish, German and Indian traders <strong>of</strong> the mid-1700s to the international businesscommunity <strong>of</strong> the 1990s, Spartanburg County has consistently shownthat there truly is no such thing as a stranger. Spartanburg County is <strong>South</strong><strong>Carolina</strong>’s “Melting Pot,” blending <strong>South</strong>ern culture with dashes and dollops <strong>of</strong>German, Swiss, Japanese, Indian, Asian, British and a myriad <strong>of</strong> otherinfluences to create a dish spiced with life. Spartanburg has taken its positionas a magnet for economic progress and as a population center filled withcultural and international diverity.Spartanburg’s cordial atmosphere is second to none, and it enriches thefine quality <strong>of</strong> life here — a quality <strong>of</strong> life that other cities only wish theycould <strong>of</strong>fer.This community’s economic history is rooted in agriculture and textiles,and boasts an exemplary lifestyle and strong work ethic inspired by thosevocations. Today, more than 90 international firms, representing 15 nations,have joined the business community and added their own special flavor toSpartanburg’s mix. The most well-known example, perhaps, is BMW ManufacturingCorporation, which began production at its first North Americanassembly plant in Spartanburg in September 1994 and now is the sole producer<strong>of</strong> the Z4 Roadster, introduced in the fall <strong>of</strong> 1995 for worldwide distribution.Spartanburg County <strong>of</strong>fers an excellent environment for working, livingand playing.The City <strong>of</strong> Spartanburg has a mayor, city council and city manager. Thefive city council members are elected from single-member districts while themayor is elected at-large, all serving four-year terms. The County Councilhas six members elected from single-member districts and a chairman electedat-large, each serving a four-year term. The county has a council-administratorform <strong>of</strong> government and employs an administrator who is responsible forall departments over which County Council has authority.Spartanburg County has 12 other municipalities with their own electedcouncils and mayors. Many <strong>of</strong> those towns have cooperative and contractualarrangements for such services as police protection, sewer and water.There is a wide and varied range <strong>of</strong> employment opportunities in SpartanburgCounty, spurred in part by the growth <strong>of</strong> the international corporate community— BMW, Michelin, Siemens, Hoechst Celanese, to name a few. Wagesand benefits are among the most competitive in the country.The quality <strong>of</strong> life here is unbeatable. Recreational and cultural opportunitiesabound — symphony performances, festivals, football, baseball, soccer,theater, golfing, swimming, tennis, parks, historical sites and much,much more.Performances and events ranging from art shows and ballet to symphoniesand repertory theater are made possible in Spartanburg in part by theArts Partnership <strong>of</strong> Greater Spartanburg, which supports nine arts organizations.Numerous community groups <strong>of</strong>fer volunteer programs assisting the needy,such as Mobile Meals, St. Luke’s Free Medical Clinic, and the United Way <strong>of</strong>the Piedmont. Religious opportunities also abound, with more than 200 congregationsin Spartanburg representing just about any denomination possible.Spartanburg’s great climate and location, making it accessible to themountains, the coast and larger areas such as Atlanta and Charlotte, add tothe attraction <strong>of</strong> the area.
Change language