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Athletic Department Shake-Up

Syracuse announces 2 additions to Athletics Department staff

By Paul SchwedelsonSenior Staff Writer

Kimberly Keenan-Kirkpatrick will become Syracuse’s deputy athletics director and Rhonda McFarland its associate athletics director of finance, SU Athletics announced in a release on Wednesday afternoon.

The hirings continue a series of changes in SU Athletics since Mark Coyle was hired as athletic director on June 19.

As deputy athletics director, Keenan-Kirkpatrick replaces Renee Baumgartner, who became Santa Clara’s new athletic director in June. Keenan-Kirkpatrick joins Syracuse after working at Seton Hall since 2006. She served as associate director of athletics for six years and then as senior associate director of athletics. She directed the NCAA compliance program at SHU and was tasked with overseeing compliance issues for all sports.

Syracuse University is currently appealing the sanctions it received in the NCAA’s report on the school in March.

Prior to being at Seton Hall, Keenan-Kirkpatrick had the same position at Kutztown University and Lafayette College. She was an assistant coach on the United States track and field team at the 2005 World Championships and the 2008 Beijing Olympics. She ran track at Kent State and earned a law degree from Seton Hall in 1993.



“Her experience as a collegiate student-athlete, coach and athletics administrator, combined with her law degree, provides a strong foundation for her to serve in a role that is essential to the success of our student-athletes,” Coyle said in the release.

McFarland worked at Boise State for the past nine years, the same school Coyle was at before joining Syracuse. She had the same title she will assume at SU and was in charge of budget management and reporting. She has held positions in accounting, auditing and several business operations capacities.

Terry Donovan was SU Athletics’ chief financial officer from 2011 until May. While McFarland has a different title than Donovan had, she will now be involved with the department’s finances.

“Rhonda brings a great deal of expertise and energy to our department,” Coyle said in the release. “She focuses on ensuring we have resources in place to benefit our student-athletes through efficient budget management.”





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