Coker's Stryker Selected for NCAA Pathway Program

HARTSVILLE, S.C. – Coker College Associate Athletic Director for External Operations Christian Stryker has been selected to participate in the NCAA Pathway Program. Stryker is one of just 23 senior-level college athletic administrators from Divisions I, II and III selected to participate in the yearlong intensive, experiential learning opportunity.

The Pathway Program is designed to elevate those currently in senior-level positions within athletics administration to the next step as a director of athletics. Since its inception in 1997, the Pathway Program (formerly the Fellows Program) has produced more than 100 alumni. Nearly 25 percent of the participants have gone on to become directors of athletics, while more than 60 percent have received promotions in their careers.

This year’s Pathway class was selected from a pool of more than 200 applicants because each member demonstrated the ability to lead in their current professional role and also possesses experience with staff supervision and other key facets of athletics administration. That experience includes sport oversight, fiscal or budget management, coaching, senior woman administrator designation, internal operations or external operations.

“I am extremely honored to be part of this very select group of athletic administrators,” said Stryker. “I am looking forward to furthering my knowledge and experience in the role of college athletics in higher education.”

Stryker has served as the Sports Information Director since the fall of 2005. In July of 2013 he was promoted to Associate Athletic Director for External Operations. Prior to being SID, Stryker was an Admissions Counselor at Coker.

He is a member of the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) and Omicron Delta Kappa. Stryker served as a member of the NCAA Division II National Baseball Committee from 2009-2012, overseeing the Southeast Region. He also served on the NCAA Southeast Region Softball Committee and on the NCAA Division II Southeast Region Men's Soccer Committee.

Currently, he serves on the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) Southeast Region Committee, is the Southeast Region Coordinator for the Daktronics men's basketball all-region team, and is a member of the NCAA Division II National Men's Golf Committee, overseeing the Southeast Region.

In addition to his SID duties, Stryker has also served as the Director of Athletic Fundraising (2006-09), Director of Media Relations and Sports Information (2009-11) and Director of Event Administration (2012-13).

He is a 2004 graduate of Coker College and was a four-year letter winner and team captain for the Cobra baseball team. He holds a Master of Science from Duquesne University in Sports Leadership.

Stryker and his fellow Pathway participates will begin their journey together with three days of intensive sessions at the 2016 NCAA Convention on Jan. 11-13 in San Antonio, Texas.  Throughout the year the Pathway members will also observe the spring and fall governance sessions at the NCAA national office and participate in additional professional development in the summer.

2016 NCAA Pathway Program participants