Koegel stepping down at Coastal Carolina

CONWAY - Warren “Moose” Koegel, director of athletics at Coastal Carolina University for the past eight years, will assume a new role as Athletics Fundraiser in the Office of University Advancement, President David DeCenzo announced Monday. 

According to a news release from the university, DeCenzo made the change in accordance with implementation of the University’s 10-year growth plan.

“I was asked to move into the role of athletics fundraising with Advancement and the Chanticleer Athletic Foundation, and I will accept and continue to work with the integrity and respect that I have always had for Coastal Carolina University,” Koegel said in the release.

“I am extremely proud to have been the director of athletics at Coastal Carolina University, where the student-athletes, administrators, coaches and staff worked together and performed with dignity and class to become great ambassadors on the national and international stage.“

“We are forever grateful to Warren for his advancement of the athletics program here,“ DeCenzo said in the release. “The reality is that Warren’s retirement in a few years, coupled with his desire to raise funds specifically for the athletic programs, has made us reconsider how he might best serve the University. This change will help us to move forward and position ourselves for the next generation of CCU athletics.”  Koegel has signed a three and a half year contract with the University.

Koegel will continue as athletics director until a replacement is on board, which is estimated to be Jan. 1, 2010. DeCenzo also honored him with the title of Athletics Director Emeritus in recognition of his accomplishments.

Koegel was hired as director of the University’s athletics program in 2001 with the challenge of starting a football team from scratch, while continuing to build the other 16 sports on campus with 400 student athletes.

A search committee for the new athletics director position is being formed to identify and interview applicants in the fall and name a successor by the beginning of the new year, according to DeCenzo.

Prior to coming to Coastal Carolina University, Koegel was associate athletic director at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga since 1998. He has served on the football coaching staffs at the University of Connecticut, Rutgers University and Wyoming University.

Koegel, who played for five years in the NFL, starred at Penn State University under legendary coach Joe Paterno. During his college career he was a third team All-American during his senior year and played on two Orange Bowl champion teams. He played in the Hula Bowl, East-West Shrine Game and the College All-State Game. Koegel received Penn State’s Dedicated Player and Outstanding Senior Awards.