Ryan Erlacher begins his eighth year at Flagler College as its associate director of athletics. He will ensure the College’s 15 Division II sports, along with faculty, staff and athletic boosters, operate within institutional, Peach Belt Conference and NCAA rules and regulations. In addition, he has oversight of the sports information and sports medicine offices, sports performance, athletics communications, game operations, marketing and promotions, academic enhancement, and team sports as assigned.
Erlacher has been instrumental in the success of Flagler’s academic enhancement program. Prior to his tenure, Flagler Athletics averaged a 2.87 department wide grade point average (GPA). Since then, the department has shattered every academic record known. For the fourth straight year, and seventh semester in a row, Flagler student-athletes averaged a department wide 3.0 or higher GPA. During the 2016-17 academic year, Flagler student-athletes (roughly 60%) earned a 3.13 GPA, marking the highest in school history. In addition, a record-breaking 12 sports teams averaged a 3.0 or higher GPA during the 2016-17 academic year.
Between the years of 2014-17, Flagler Athletics received the Presidents’ Award for Academic Excellence for its NCAA Academic Success Rate (ASR). In 2014-15, Flagler Athletics achieved a 92% NCAA Academic Success Rate (ASR), marking the first time in school history Flagler has been in the 90th percentile and among the top performers in the country. In 2015-16, Flagler increased its ASR score to 94%, tied for eighth in the country, No. 1 in the state of Florida, and No. 1 in the Peach Belt Conference. In 2016-17, Flagler once again earned a score of 94, and will be among the top academic performing institutions in the country.
Erlacher has helped bring recognition to the college by way of nominating individuals and teams for NCAA awards. In 2012, he was responsible for the submitting the winning nomination for the NCAA Community Engagement Award, an award that is given nationally to a program that exhibits strong community support and outreach. The winning nomination highlighted the men’s cross-country Lionheart Relay. Flagler Athletics received $500 in prize money for the award. That same year, Erlacher was responsible for submitting the winning nomination for the 2012 NCAA Sportsmanship Award, presented to only one student-athlete in the entire NCAA DII membership. That award recognized John Sgromolo, a former baseball student-athlete at the College who was later drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers. The award was the first the department had ever received.
In 2012, Erlacher nominated Jud Damon, director of athletics at Flagler College, for the NCAA Bob Frederick Sportsmanship Award. In the summer of 2013, Flagler received news that Mr. Damon had won the award and would be honored by the NCAA. The Bob Frederick Sportsmanship Award is given to one coach or administrator in the entire NCAA membership (DI, DII, and DII), who possesses a demonstrated history of sportsmanship. This individual will have displayed the utmost respect for NCAA intercollegiate athletics and all who participate by leading by example and promoting positive fan involvement in and out of the competition setting.
Upon his arrival at Flagler, Erlacher implemented new marketing and promotional initiatives. One of those initiatives, dubbed Flagler Athletics “Theme Nights”, was established to increase attendance at home athletics contests. Over the past seven years, Flagler Athletics theme nights have become very popular with students, staff, faculty, and the local community. Theme nights have been credited for breaking single game attendance records for the sports of volleyball, men’s soccer, women’s soccer, and baseball. During the initial year of implementation, men’s soccer saw a 359 percent increase, women’s soccer 118 percent increase, and volleyball a 92 percent increase in attendance during promotional nights. In addition, men’s basketball improved 192 percent, women’s basketball 106 percent, baseball 96 percent, and softball 57 percent during theme nights. The men’s soccer program has been recognized nationally for their attendance figures, and saw their first 1000+ crowd during their 2014 home opener.
Within the department, Erlacher has helped establish new positions in the areas of sports performance, athletics communications, game operations, and fitness center management. In addition, Erlacher has served as the chair for multiple search committees. On campus, Erlacher has furthered an internship program, primarily working with Flagler College sport management majors, which allows current students the opportunity to work with the Flagler Athletics Department to gain valuable industry experience.
Erlacher came to Flagler from Newman University in Wichita, Kansas, a NCAA Division II institution. He served as its associate athletics director and compliance director. Erlacher was in charge of all compliance matters at Newman as well as monitoring student-athletes’ financial aid and athletic budgets. He also assisted with game management, academics, and operations.
Prior to Newman, Erlacher served as the assistant athletic director/director of compliance and academics at Northwood University in West Palm Beach, Florida. Prior to Northwood, he was an athletics assistant at Florida State University. Prior to Florida State, he served as the director of basketball operations at Stetson University, located in Deland, Florida.
Erlacher earned his bachelor’s in sport management at Flagler in 2004. He served as an assistant for the men’s basketball team from 2000-04. Erlacher earned his master’s of sport administration from Florida State in 2007. Erlacher, and wife Kellie, have a son, Austin, and a daughter, Isabelle, and reside in St. Augustine.
