Norwood Teague - Director of Athletics

Norwood T. Teague became the Director of Athletics at Virginia Commonwealth University on July 1, 2006. Since that time, the department has experienced tremendous success, garnering pride and national visibility for Rams Athletics.

Success has come in competition, development, and in the classroom. During the 2008 spring semester, 55 percent of the Rams’ student-athletes had a grade point average of 3.0 or better. The numbers on the Athletic Director’s Honor Roll continue to grow as well.

The Rams’ success in men’s basketball since Teague took the reins at VCU has been noteworthy. The team won the 2007 Colonial Athletic Association championship and beat Duke in the first round of the NCAA tournament. The 2007-08 team finished first in the CAA’s regular season standings and again qualified for postseason play. In the spring of 2008, Teague worked out a six-year extension on the contract of men’s basketball head coach Anthony Grant.

The VCU women’s basketball team set a school record with 26 victories in 2007-08, made the CAA tournament championship game for the first time in its history and qualified for postseason play. During that same academic year, veteran tennis coach Paul Kostin recorded his 800th career victory and both his men’s and women’s teams qualified for the NCAA tournament. The men’s team won the 2008 CAA championship. In addition, head golf coach Matt Ball was named the CAA coach of the year in 2008.

VCU’s baseball team won the 2007 CAA championship to earn an NCAA tournament spot. The Rams’ women’s soccer team made the 2007 CAA final under the direction of co-head coaches Tim Sahaydak and Tiffany Roberts Sahaydak – Teague’s first head coaching hires. Six men’s track athletes have made NCAA regional appearances during Teague’s tenure.

Under Teague’s leadership, the Rams have enjoyed a 48 percent increase in fundraising. Teague consolidated VCU Athletics’ fundraising efforts by combining the Pride Fund and the Rams Club into the new Ram Athletic Fund. This has streamlined the fundraising operation for better efficiency and success.

Teague launched a Basketball Enhancement Fund project in 2007. This first phase included the renovation of the men’s and women’s basketball corridor as well as significant upgrades to the basketball lounge, locker room and hallway areas, and a state of the art video system. The project also included a renovation of the Franklin Street Gym. Further upgrades to the Rams’ facilities are in the works, as phase two of this project began in Spring 2008.

Teague currently serves as a member of the NCAA Division I Men’s Golf Committee. He also serves on the Board of Directors for the Metropolitan Richmond Sports Backers.

Teague is a native of Raleigh, N.C. He graduated from the University of North Carolina in 1988 with a degree in Political Science. In 1992, Teague earned a Master’s degree in Sports Administration from Ohio University.

Teague came to VCU from his alma mater, University of North Carolina, where he worked from 2001-2006 as the Tar Heels’ Associate Athletic Director for Marketing. In that position, he negotiated numerous partnership and rights agreements. Among them was an 8-year, $20-million contract with Learfield Sports and a first ever on-premises signage partnership with Wachovia in the Dean E. Smith Center. This was an $18 million deal spanning eight years.

From 1999-2001, Teague served as general manager of the Sun Devil Sports Network at Arizona State. While there, he increased sales and negotiated several multi-year television contracts. Teague oversaw radio, television, Internet and signage operations.

During 1998-99, Teague headed up new programs for Vilcom Sports and The Tar Heel Sports Network at the University of North Carolina.

At the University of Virginia Athletic Department from 1993-98, Teague worked first in the sports marketing office, and then served as the Director of Operations for the Cavaliers’ men’s basketball program under Jeff Jones.

“Norwood’s first two years directing the Department of Athletics have been exciting and productive,” said VCU President Dr. Eugene P. Trani. “I’m confident the department is in excellent hands and I look forward to watching its continued growth.”

UNC basketball coach Roy Williams said, “Norwood will be great for VCU because of his enthusiasm and work ethic. He has an incredibly bright future. I look forward to seeing the things he will accomplish at VCU.”

On the strategic plan measurement boards located in the administration and coaches offices within VCU Athletics there are several fund raising and facility construction goals listed to be completed in the upcoming years.  David Benedict is in charge of accomplishing those goals.
Tapped by Norwood Teague in January 2010 to be VCU’s Executive Associate Athletic Director for Development, David Benedict brings a long history of successful fundraising campaigns to the Rams athletic department.  As a lead developer for businesses and universities in Arizona and California, Benedict has overseen well over $5million worth of donations.
Following a standout football career at Southern Utah, and a short stint as a college football coach in New Mexico, Benedict entered the fund raising world at Arizona State where he would spend the next ten years of his career.
While at ASU, Benedict climbed from an intern in the athletic department to an Associate Athletic Director of Development and the Executive Director of ASU’s fund raising arm, the Sun Angel Foundation.
“When I first met David, he was at the beginning of his career at Arizona State,” says Teague, “and even then you could tell that he was going to be a successful fund raiser.  That market is not an easy sports market to navigate with the likes of four professional sports teams and the University of Arizona 60 miles away.  But David is a natural fund raiser and each time he was tapped for a new position within their department, he excelled.”
While at Arizona State, Benedict assisted in a one million dollar gift matching campaign.  Originally slated to last for 12 months, Benedict and his staff reached their goal in only four short months.
Following a decade of work and millions of dollars in gifts, Benedict left the education field and entered the private sector as the Senior Vice President for the Scottsdale Health Care Foundation.  While there he helped their foundation raise a record $17million through annual, major and planned gifts.
Benedict’s passion for college athletics runs so deep, however, that he could only stay away from its fund raising fields for one year.   After a year in the private sector, Benedict went back to school as the Senior Associate Athletic Director for External Relations at Long Beach State University.  He picked up where he left off at Arizona State by immediately making an impact on the giving levels for the 49ers.   When Benedict got to The Beach in 2007 he increased donations by $700,000.  He followed that up in 2008 by increasing the level by almost $6million, a staggering figure for the Big West school.
At VCU, Benedict will oversee a Development staff of five as well as the ticket office and the baseball and golf programs.
“We have some auspicious goals to obtain in the upcoming years at VCU, goals that you can’t just assume are going to happen because we put them down on paper,” says Teague. “I don’t think there’s any fund raiser in the country I would rather have on my staff to lead us to these accomplishments other than David Benedict.”
Benedict and his wife Lisa have twin boys, Jake and Sam and live in the West End. Lisa was an All-American gymnast at Arizona State. She is a member of the Sun Devil Athletic Hall of Fame and was recently inducted into the New York State Athletic Hall of Fame.

Email: dbenedict@vcu.edu
Phone: 804-828-7398

Mike Ellis - Associate Athletic Director

A native of Butner, N.C., Ellis graduated from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill with a B.A. in Secondary Education. At UNC, Ellis served as a manager for the men’s basketball team under the direction of the legendary Dean Smith. Upon graduation, Ellis worked as an administrative assistant with USA Basketball, spending time with both the men’s and women’s 1988 Olympic teams that competed in Seoul, South Korea.

A 13-year stint as a VCU men’s assistant basketball coach preceded Ellis’ move into the administrative ranks, where his primary focus is centered on fundraising and development.

In addition to his responsibilities as an Associate Athletic Director for VCU Athletics, Mike serves as an adjunct faculty member at the Center for Sport Leadership.

804-827-0805
mwellis@vcu.edu

Andrew Hartley - Assistant Athletic Director

A native of Walworth, NY, Hartley graduated from SUNY Cortland in 1991 with a B.A. in Education with a minor in business & economics and a concentration in Sport Management. He continued is education receiving a master’s degree in Sports Management from Virginia Tech in 1995 while being employed by the Virginia Tech Athletic Department.

Prior to coming to VCU in 1999, Hartley worked at the University of Maryland as the Assistant Director of Ticket Operations. He came to VCU as the Director of Ticket Operations and was involved in the opening of the Siegel Center and priority seating plan. In his current role, Hartley is involved in all aspects of development for VCU Athletics and while providing oversight for donor seat programs as well supervising the Athletic Ticket Office.

Hartley and his wife Amy, live in Richmond Fan District, with their sons Chase & Cole.

804-828-1726
aphartle@vcu.edu

Alex Moore - Director of Stewardship

Moore joined VCU Athletics in 2008 as a graduate assistant in athletic development, while working on her Master’s degree at the Center for Sport Leadership.

Upon completing her degree, Moore transitioned into her current role as the Director of Stewardship.

She is responsible for the donor relations aspect of the athletic department, including fulfillment of donor stewardships, managing special events and coordinating all gift processing.
The Newport News, Va., native is a 2008 graduate of James Madison University with a Bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology and a minor in Business.

While completing her undergraduate degree, Moore served as an intern for the JMU Duke Club, where she assisted with athletic donor relations, fundraising and special events.
Moore and her husband, Mitchell, reside in Richmond.

afmoore@vcu.edu
(804) 828-6692

Victor Paul Cegles III - Director, Ram Athletic Fund

A native of Phoenix, Arizona, Vic Cegles got his start in the ticket office at VCU and was named Assistant Director of Ticketing and Development in 2009. Cegles managed sponsorship sales, ticket operations, and athletic development.  Cegles was named the Director, Ram Athletic Fund in the fall of 2010 and is responsible for raising funds to support the school’s athletic endeavors; the day-to-day operations of the Ram Athletic Fund, Young Alumni program, and the Student Ram Athletic Fund (Rowdy Rams).
Prior to VCU, Cegles attended Rutgers University completing his degree in 2008 majoring in Exercise Science with a concentration in Sport Management while also lettering and playing second base for the Scarlet Knights.

After graduation, Cegles signed a free agent contract with the Washington Nationals and played a summer for the Gulf Coast Nationals.  Vic comes from an Athletic Administration background, as his father, Vic Cegles, currently holds the position of Athletic Director at Long Beach State University. Cegles is pursuing his master’s degree at VCU’s Center for Sport Leadership. In addition, Cegles is also a member of the National Association of Athletic Development Directors (NAADD).

(804) 828-4771
vpcegles@vcu.edu