SAN ANTONIO, Texas – The University of the Incarnate Word has selected Dr. Brian Wickstrom as UIW's new director of athletics.
 
"In the university's continued pursuit of excellence in Division I Athletics, we are thrilled to welcome the talent and experience of Dr. Wickstrom to lead Cardinal Athletics," Dr. David Jurenovich, UIW Vice President for Enrollment Management and Student Services said. "Brian's vision and fundraising ability will, no doubt, help catapult the UIW program and brand to a level of national prominence."
 
Wickstrom joins the Cardinals after spending the past four years as director of athletics at the University of Louisiana Monroe.
 
"I am blessed and honored to be selected as the next Director of Athletics at UIW," Wickstrom said. "I would like to thank Dr. Evans, Dr. Jurenovich and the search committee for selecting me to lead Cardinal Athletics to a new level as we deliver a top student-athlete experience and compete for championships."
 
Wickstrom is widely acknowledged as one of the nation's top fundraising athletic directors. He was recognized as a Top Athletic Director in the Group of Five by SB Nation's Underdog Dynasty and was named one of the Top 10 Fundraising ADs in College Athletics by CollegeAD. During his career, he has been personally responsible for securing more than $91 million in commitments.
 
"It is an unbelievable opportunity to work side by side with administrators who believe in the role of Division I intercollegiate athletics on a top-rated academic campus," he said.
 
Additionally, Wickstrom carries a strong history of facilitating a positive student-athlete experience and promoting engagement with the general student body. In December, he received the Excellence in Service to Students Award after being selected by the ULM student body as someone who mentors and teaches with heart and passion and has motivated them in their pursuit of education.
 
"The history and tradition of the University of the Incarnate Word speaks for itself," Wickstrom said. "My personal core values align well with the overall mission of Incarnate Word, and as we deliver a first-class student-athlete experience, those students will give back to the global community after graduation and the brand of UIW will spread throughout the community, state and nation."
 
Tom Burnett, commissioner of the Southland Conference since 2002, praised UIW on the appointment of Wickstrom.
 
"We are excited about Brian Wickstrom's hiring as UIW's new athletic director," Burnett said. "Brian has a tremendous track record as an athletic administrator and is well known for his successes in fundraising, facility improvements and hiring quality coaches and staff. We look forward to the competitive and academic achievements under Brian's watch as UIW continues to build a successful Division I athletic program in the Southland Conference."
 
Over Wickstrom's career, he has been personally responsible for securing over $91 million in commitments and setting several annual fund, major gift, season ticket, attendance and revenue benchmarks for the seven programs he has worked with.
 
Executive Vice President of Regulatory Affairs and Strategic Partnerships for the NCAA, Oliver Luck, called Wickstrom a tremendous hire.
 
"Hiring Brian Wickstrom, an accomplished fundraiser and administrator, is a tremendous coup for the University of the Incarnate Word," Luck said. "He possesses all the skills needed for this position, including experience, acumen and charisma. I look forward to working with him in his new role and wish both him and UIW well."
 
When Wickstrom arrived at ULM, he oversaw the addition of the "Tailgate Terrace" for Warhawk fans during home football games. Additionally, the football program installed new field turf thanks to the second-largest commitment in the history of the athletics program.
 
In Wickstrom's second year with the Warhawks, the football program finished its fundraising goal for an end zone facility and held the official ground breaking ceremony on March 2, 2015. In a three-month span, Wickstrom raised $2.98 million in major gifts for the project, which was the first privately funded facility in the history of ULM Athletics. The lead gift remains the largest in the history of the athletics program.
 
Wickstrom spearheaded efforts to fund a new track and field facility for the Warhawks, a project that had been searching for funding for the previous 10 years. Wickstrom secured $1.3 million in funding for demolition, drainage and the replacement of a new track and field facility. This was a key part of an ongoing $5 million project that includes new locker rooms and offices for the track and field, cross country and soccer programs.

Under Wickstrom's direction, men's basketball put together one of the best two-year stints in program history. ULM had a banner season in 2015 as the program won 24 games and became the first-ever Sun Belt team to play a game in the month of April. This run concluded with near-capacity crowds in the College Basketball Invitational Championships.

Over his four years with the Warhawks, Wickstrom had an impact on athletics facilities for baseball, soccer, tennis, football, softball, track and field and beach volleyball. In addition to the football improvements, Wickstrom oversaw a renovation of the weight room, installation of field turf at the ULM Softball complex, the construction of the indoor baseball facility, improvements to the soccer facilities, renovations of the tennis facility, improvements to the basketball coliseum offices, and expansion of the sand volleyball courts.
 
Wickstrom secured the top six gifts, and nine of the top ten gifts, in ULM Athletics history, to complete these projects.
 
ULM Dean of the College of Business and Social Sciences, Ron Berry, reflected positively on his time with Wickstrom in Monroe.
 
"Brian was a great colleague and an exceptional athletics leader who built strong relationships at ULM across campus and throughout the community," Berry said. "While at ULM, Brian had a significant impact in the areas of fundraising, student-athlete success and building bridges between athletics and the various university divisions. I wish him well in his new role and feel confident that he and UIW Athletics will have a lot of success in the future."

In addition to unprecedented heights in fundraising, several Warhawk sports set single-game and season attendance records during Wickstrom's four-year tenure.
 
The Warhawks also saw success on the field with Wickstrom at the helm of the athletics department. The ULM women's tennis team won the 2017 Sun Belt Conference Tournament, becoming the first women's team at the university to win a Sun Belt Conference Championship and earning an automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament. The team received several accolades following the monumental season, including Newcomer of the Year and Sun Belt Coach of the Year honors. Additionally, the women's head soccer coach was named the 2016 Sun Belt Coach of the Year in the fall, while the softball team earned a berth in the inaugural National Invitational Softball Championship in 2017.
 
Beyond the program's athletic success, Wickstrom implemented guidelines for the classroom that resulted in a 2015-16 APR single-year perfect score of 1000 for eight Warhawk teams, including men's basketball, men's and women's cross country, men's and women's golf, women's beach volleyball, women's tennis and women's volleyball.
 
Executive Director of the American Football Coaches Association, Todd Berry, who served as head football coach at ULM during Wickstrom's tenure, spoke highly of his former athletics director.
 
"I was fortunate to have more than three decades of experience in fifteen collegiate settings over my coaching career, and consequently I had the pleasure of working with multiple athletic directors," Berry said. "I can honestly say that Brian Wickstrom was one of the best. His knowledge of the ever-changing collegiate landscape, his passion for the impact that his role plays in student-athlete welfare and his dedication to do things the right way make him an outstanding leader. Brian is personable, cerebral, meticulous and energetic in every endeavor. I am excited for Brian and for the University of the Incarnate Word."
 
Before his time in Monroe, Wickstrom served as the director of intercollegiate athletics at UC Riverside from 2011-13. During his tenure, the athletics department completed both a track facility renovation ($2.8 million) and a basketball practice facility renovation ($1.2 million).

Wickstrom implemented a men's basketball APR improvement plan that helped the program post a score of 989 during the 2011-12 season, compared to 887 the year preceding Wickstrom's arrival. He also initiated and completed a logo/rebranding effort that involved the community, alumni and students, and dramatically increased overall involvement with the program.
 
Chancellor Timothy White of the California State University System was complimentary of Wickstrom's appointment as UIW's director of athletics.
 
"Brian will be focused on the academic and athletic success of the University of the Incarnate Word's student-athletes," White said. "He will be a stalwart member of the campus and broader community, and he will contribute positively with his time and many talents."

Prior to UC Riverside, Wickstrom spent five years as a member of the University of Texas at El Paso staff, where he was involved in all phases of the day-to-day operations of the department, including the supervision, hiring and evaluation of staff and coaches while working within a $20 million athletics operating budget. Wickstrom oversaw all areas of External Relations and served as the sports administrator for a number of Miners sports, including the UTEP men's basketball program and football operations.

Wickstrom was heavily involved in the planning, design and fundraising efforts for the state-of-the-art Foster Stevens Basketball Center.

During Wickstrom's tenure, the Miner Athletics Club produced the top two annual fund incomes in the history of UTEP Athletics. Under his leadership, the organization also generated the three highest football season ticket numbers in program history.

Wickstrom was instrumental in securing the 2011 C-USA Men's and Women's Basketball Tournament for El Paso. The tournament produced close to a $1,000,000 net profit for the conference.
 
While at UTEP, Wickstrom was heavily involved in the community, as evidenced by his appointment to the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board by the Mayor of El Paso. He also served on the United Way Resource Allocation Committee.

A native of Overland Park, Kansas, Wickstrom arrived at UTEP after spending two years as assistant athletics director for development and business partnerships at the University of Michigan. In his time with the Wolverines, Wickstrom served as the primary contact for $5.4 million in corporate sponsorships. He also cultivated, solicited and secured $23.6 million in commitments for the Capital Campaign (includes two gifts committed but closed after his departure).

Wickstrom served as the associate athletics director for Santa Clara University from 2001-03. He operated as the sport administrator for women's basketball and directed development efforts that produced $8.2 million in commitments over a one-year period. Wickstrom also oversaw the $42.8 million Athletics Capital Campaign.
 
Wickstrom started his career in collegiate athletics at the University of Missouri from 1999-2000. As assistant director of athletics development, his primary focus was the department's $100 million capital campaign and facility fundraising projects.

Wickstrom was a track and field athlete at Kansas State University, where he earned his undergraduate degree in Business Administration/Finance in 1991. He added a Master's in Business Administration/Management from K-State in 1992. Wickstrom completed his Master's in Sports Administration from Ohio University in 1999 and his Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Eastern Michigan University in 2006.

Wickstrom and his wife, Celina, have four sons, Vince, John Christian, David Grant and James, as well as one daughter, Bricelle Leigh.
 
"Celina and I are excited about being part of the San Antonio community," Wickstrom said. "It has always been a priority to raise our children in a warm, family-oriented setting that is full of culture and history."
 
For the most up-to-date information on UIW Athletics visit uiwcardinals.com. Be sure to follow UIW Athletics on Twitter @UIWAthletics and like UIW Athletics on Facebook at UIW Athletics.