Wheeling, W.Va. - Aug. 29, 2013 - Wheeling Jesuit University has expanded the leadership within the Athletic Department to help usher in a new era of Cardinal Athletics by hiring an executive director of intercollegiate and varsity athletics operations, an athletic director and a director of sports media.
WJU President, Rev. James Fleming, S.J. said the new leadership team in Athletics is poised to lead the University's programs into a bright future.
“These gentlemen indicate the beginning of a very exciting time here at WJU,” said Fleming. “As we get set to break ground on our new stadium, we have an opportunity to grow, not only our athletic programs, but our University as a whole. With their expertise, our programs will flourish.”
Frank Bauer of California University of Pennsylvania has been brought in to lead the department as the executive director of intercollegiate and varsity athletics operations.
Joining Bauer on the leadership team is Cameron Perry, former assistant athletic director at Glenville State College, who will serve as WJU's athletic director.
Former WJU Athletic Director Danny Sancomb will assume a new position as director of athletic fundraising for the Institutional Advancement, and he will continue to lead the Cardinal basketball program as its head coach.
Also joining the Athletic Department is Sports Information Director Eric Taber, who moves to the athletic offices from the advancement office, where he served as media and communications director.
Together, the group will work in unison to complete the stadium development project, and deliver a first-class athletic environment for WJU student athletes to excel.
Bauer comes to Wheeling Jesuit as part of the administrative team that witnessed California University of Pennsylvania go from obscurity to national athletic prominence over the past decade. Through his fundraising efforts, the Vulcans enjoyed unprecedented athletic success that was highlighted by the school's first-ever Dixon Trophy in 2008-09, awarded yearly to the best athletic program in the NCAA Division II Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC), and the football program's first berth to the NCAA Division II national playoffs.
Bauer earned his master's degree in sports management with a concentration in intercollegiate athletic administration from California University of Pennsylvania.
Perry comes to WJU from Glenville State, where he served as assistant athletic director for the past six years. In that role, Perry was in charge of the day-to-day operations of the department, game management, compliance and facilities. He also had been the college's compliance director where he was in charge of all compliance-related duties for 12 sports. He has served as head coach of track and field and cross-country, as well as head of strength and conditioning, and offensive line coach for the football team. Perry has been a regular participant at West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WVIAC), Mountain East Conference (MEC) and National NCAA Convention meetings.
A native of Elkview, W.Va., Perry earned a bachelor's of science degree in criminal justice from Glenville State College in 2001 and a master's degree in business administration from Salem University in 2009.
Danny Sancomb will assume the role of director of Athletic Fundraising, using his deep roots in the Wheeling community to help drive the financial needs of the new stadium project, and the athletic department as a whole.
A native of Severn, Maryland, Sancomb has served as WJU's athletic director and head basketball coach, where he has guided the Cardinals to a 101-74 overall record through six seasons.
A graduate of Wheeling Jesuit, Sancomb earned a bachelor's degree in criminal justice and a master's in business administration. As a basketball player at WJU, Sancomb was the WVIAC's leading scorer for two successive years, and was the NCAA's leading DII scorer in the nation with 27.2 points per game. He is Wheeling Jesuit's sixth all-time leading scorer with 1454 points, and was named to the NABC/Chevrolet Division II All-American Team and the First Team All-East Region. He resides in Wheeling with his wife, Becky, and their sons, Eli and Luke.
Taber takes over as the head of sports media, after a year in the University's communications office. Prior to moving to Wheeling, Taber worked as the communications manager for USA Rugby, the sport's national governing body, in Boulder, Col. He also worked at USA Rugby as the sponsorship manager. A four-year veteran of the TV news business, Taber also worked at NY1 in New York City before relocating to Colorado. He is also the assistant head coach for WJU's varsity rugby program.
Taber is a graduate of the journalism school at the University of Montana and is a native of Missoula, Mont.
Photo Caption
Fr. James Fleming, WJU president (center), poses with the new athletic department team, from L to R: Don Kaminski, associate VP for Administration; Danny Sancomb, director of Athletic Fundraising; Larry Vallar, vice president for Enrollment Management; Sean Doyle, head wrestling coach; President James Fleming, S.J.; Frank Bauer, executive director of Intercollegiate and Varsity Athletics Operations; Cameron Perry, athletic director; Eric Taber, director of Sports Media.
