WILMINGTON, Ohio - Alan Ledford, program director and associate professor of sport management, is the new faculty athletic representative (FAR) at Wilmington College. Ledford replaces Al Beatty, who departed the WC faculty at the end of the 2021-22 academic year.
"I am appreciative of Alan's willingness to serve as our Faculty Athletic Representative (FAR)," Wilmington President Trevor Bates said. "Alan understands the life, opportunities, challenges and perspectives of student-athletes. As the FAR, he will be an asset to ensure academic mission of the College is always at the forefront of the input he provides on behalf of the faculty."
Ledford's main duty as FAR is to serve as a liaison between the athletics department and the faculty while also representing the institution in Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) and NCAA affairs. The role of the FAR is to ensure that Wilmington establishes and maintains the appropriate balance between academics and intercollegiate athletics.
"Since my playing days in the OAC to interning for the OAC to now being able to give back to WC students as the FAR, I'm super excited," said Ledford. "I feel I've been on both sides of the table being a former student-athlete and now as a professor, and I hope to bring a unique perspective to this new role!"
Ledford started at Wilmington College in 2015 as an adjunct faculty member then as a co-advisor to the student-led sport management club (SPORTS). Prior to WC, Ledford taught sport management classes at Arkansas State, at the University of Northwestern of Ohio and at the University of Southern New Hampshire.
In 2014, Ledford taught educators in the Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in which the educators earned an International Diploma in Physical Education and Sports Coaching (IDPESC) program for the Ministry of Education (MOE). The academic program for the Southeast Asian country is arguably one of the largest remedial programs in sports education ever undertaken.
Ledford was an assistant athletic director/recreation specialist/adjunct faculty member at Harrisburg Area Community College. Ledford has coached baseball and basketball at both the high school/collegiate levels and has also worked with intramurals and recreational sports.
Ledford's teaching philosophy is to bring real-world experiences to the classroom. Almost any event can be linked to the sporting/business world. Ledford leads yearly student groups to work the NFL's Super Bowl, NCAA College Football National Championship, MLB All-Star Weekend and the NBA All-Star festivities. Additionally, he played a integral part in getting the College's sport management program accredited by the Colmmision on Sport Management Accreditation (COSMA).
As a student-athlete, Ledford was a four-year member of the baseball program from 1999-02. One of the Fightin' Quakers' first First Team All-OAC selections in 2002, he is atop the single-season record books for the OAC era (2001-present) in home runs (8) and triples (5) and also swiped 20 bases during the 2002 season, his senior year. That year, Leford hit a .437 clip to help the Quakers finish over .500 and achieve an even 9-9 record in conference games.
Ledford lives in Wilmington with his wife Emily, two daughters Riley, Reece and son Jaxson.
