Rogers State Hillcats

Rogers State Hillcats
University Rogers State University
Conference Heartland Conference
NCAA Division II
Athletic director Chris Ratcliff
Location Claremore, Oklahoma
Varsity teams 12
Football stadium none
Basketball arena Claremore Expo Center
Baseball stadium Diamond Sports Complex
Mascot Hunter the Hillcat
Nickname Hillcats
Colors Navy and Red[1]
         
Website www.rsuhillcats.com

The Rogers State University Hillcats are the athletic teams that represent Rogers State University. Their mascot, a fictional animal based on a bobcat and named for the hill that the school sits upon, was chosen in 2005 by a group of students.[2] The school participates in the National Collegiate Athletics Association Division II and is a member of the Heartland Conference.

National Athletic Affiliation

[3] After two years of offering baseball as a club team, President Dr. Joe Wiley announced the University was accepted into the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics in September 2005.[4]

The university announced in April 2010 that a task force assembled to review the University's national athletic affiliation recommended the school to apply for membership in the NCAA Division II.[5] On July 13, 2012 Dr. Larry Rice announced that then Director of Athletic Ryan Bradley was notified that the University had been approved for the Division II membership process.[6] The University was accepted into year two candidacy in July 2014 and in [7] July 2015 entered provisional membership status. Rogers State was notified on July 14, 2016 that the NCAA Division II Membership Committee had recommended the University for full, active membership.[8]

Conference Affiliation

In September 2006 the University announced it was accepted as a member of the Sooner Athletic Conference.[9] At the start of the 2013 school year, RSU began competing in a Heartland Conference schedule. On August 29, 2017 Rogers State announced that beginning Fall 2019 it would be members of the Lone Star Conference.[10]

Sports

Men's Women's
Baseball Basketball
Basketball Cross Country
Cross Country Golf
Golf Soccer
Soccer Softball
Track & Field Track & Field

Program Success

The school's women's softball team became the first RSU athletic team to be nationally ranked on March 28, 2007, entering the NAIA softball ratings at number 22.[11] The men's basketball team became the school's first number one on January 26, 2009, topping the NAIA DI men's basketball poll.[12]

Director of Athletics

Wren Baker, current Vice President and Director of Athletics for North Texas Mean Green, served as the first Director of Athletics at RSU. After his departure to Northwest Missouri State for a similar position Baker was replaced by Ryan Bradley, previously the Associate Athletic Director for External Relations. Bradley departed for the University of Memphis to work for Baker then Deputy Athletic Director for the Tigers.

In 2013, Ryan Erwin joined Rogers State as the Director of Athletics from Dallas Baptist University. On August 1, 2016 Erwin announced his resignation to accept the Vice President and Director of Athletics position at East Texas Baptist University (NCAA DIII).[13] On November 18, 2016 President Dr. Larry Rice announced that Chris Ratcliff, Director of Athletics at the University of Arkansas - Monticello, would assume the role of Director of Athletics.[14]

Current Department Staff

Men's Program Head Coach Women's Program Head Coach
Cross Country Chris McCormick Cross Country Chris McCormick
Baseball Chris Klimas Softball Andrea Vaughan
Basketball Justin Barkley Basketball Bobby Cope
Golf Stephen Brown Golf Whitney Hocutt
Soccer Derek Larkin Soccer TBA
Track & Field Chris McCormick Track & Field Chris McCormick

Derek Larkin is the only coach in men's soccer program history and was the first coach of the women's soccer program before Heather Cato was named Head Coach in January 2014.[15] On April 18, 2016 Cato resigned to accept the assistant coach position at Central Michigan.[16] Scott Parkinson was named the third head coach in program history on May 8, 2016.[17] On December 6, 2017 Parkinson announced his resignation to accept the lead assistant coach position with the NWSL's Real Salt Lake.[18]

Chris McCormick is the lone head coach in program history for both the men's and women's cross country and track & field programs.

Justin Barkley is the third head coach in program history. Wren Baker served as Athletic Director and Men's Basketball Head Coach for one season (2007–08) before resigning as basketball coach. Lloyd Williams became the second head coach in program history on August 19, 2008. Williams resigned on March 30, 2010 after two seasons at the helm finishing with a 52-13 record. Barkley was named the head coach in April 2010.

Bobby Cope is the third head coach of the women's basketball program having served on the coaching staff of both Amy Williams and Roxanne Long. Williams began the program in March 2007 and helped lead the Hillcats to back-to-back NAIA National Tournament appearances before taking the same position at the University of South Dakota. Long was hired on July 2, 2012 and spent two seasons as head coach before resigning following the 2013-14 season. Cope was named head coach on March 28, 2014.

Ron Bradley began the baseball program at RSU in 2004 as a club team and by 2012 led the Hillcats to the NAIA World Series Championship game where RSU finished Runner-Up. Bradley led the Diamond Cats back to the NAIA World Series in 2013 before retiring following the 2014 season compiling a 281-188 collegiate coaching record.[19] On June 30, 2014 Chris Klimas was named the second head coach in program history joining RSU from Oklahoma Baptist University where he had served as Associate Head Coach.[20]

RSU announced the addition of Women's and Men's golf programs in January 2009 and two months later named former Oklahoma Sooners, Iowa Hawkeyes, and Florida Gators head coach Lynn Blevins as head coach of both programs.[21] Blevins announced his resignation in June of 2014 [22] and the Hillcats turned to former University of Texas - Pan American men's golf head coach Josh Fosdick to lead both men's and women's programs. [23] Fosdick resigned in July 2016 after accepting the men's golf head coaching position at the University of Central Oklahoma.[24] T.J. Dickinson, head coach at Oklahoma Wesleyan, was named as Fosdick's replacement in August 2016.[25] In August 2017, Ratcliff announced the hiring of former Hillcat women's golfer Whitney Hocutt as the new women's golf head coach[26] and Steve Brown, former assistant at NCAA Division II Chico State, as men's golf head coach.[27]

References

  1. ↑ "Logo Samples & Usage - Rogers State University". Retrieved January 31, 2017.
  2. ↑ RSU | Traditions
  3. ↑ "RSU Gains Acceptance in National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics - Rogers State University". Rogers State University. Retrieved 2016-04-18.
  4. ↑ "Hillcats Join Sooner Athletic Conference - Rogers State University". Rogers State University. Retrieved 2016-04-18.
  5. ↑ "Rogers State Accepted Into NCAA Division II Membership Process". Rogers State University. Retrieved 2016-04-18.
  6. ↑ "Rogers State Accepted Into Candidacy Year Two of NCAA Division II Membership Process". Rogers State University. Retrieved 2016-04-18.
  7. ↑ "Rogers State Achieves NCAA Division II Provisional Status". Rogers State University. Retrieved 2016-04-18.
  8. ↑ "Rogers State Recommended for Full, Active NCAA Division II Membership". Rogers State University. Retrieved 2016-08-03.
  9. ↑ "Rogers State Task Force Recommends NCAA Application". Rogers State University. Retrieved 2016-04-18.
  10. ↑ "RSU to Join Lone Star Conference in 2019". Rogers State University. Retrieved 2017-12-08.
  11. ↑ "NAIA Softball Rating No. 2 :: Cal Baptist Hangs on to No. 1 With 12 First-Place Votes". National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. Retrieved 2008-04-02.
  12. ↑ "Rogers State (Okla.) Becomes Sixth New No. 1 Team in 2008-09 Division I MBB Coaches' Top 25 Poll". National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. Retrieved 2008-01-26.
  13. ↑ "Erwin Accepts Athletics Position at East Texas Baptist University". Rogers State University. Retrieved 2016-08-03.
  14. ↑ "RSU Names Chris Ratcliff as New Director of Athletics". Rogers State University. Retrieved 2017-12-08.
  15. ↑ "Cato Named Rogers State Head Women's Soccer Coach". Rogers State University. Retrieved 2016-04-18.
  16. ↑ "Cato Resigns from Women's Soccer Coaching Post". Rogers State University. Retrieved 2016-05-10.
  17. ↑ "Parkinson Tabbed as RSU Women's Soccer Head Coach". Rogers State University. Retrieved 2016-05-10.
  18. ↑ "Parkinson Resigns as RSU Women's Soccer Coach". Rogers State University. Retrieved 2017-12-08.
  19. ↑ "RSU Baseball Legend Retires". Rogers State University. Retrieved 2016-05-10.
  20. ↑ "Klimas Named Rogers State Head Baseball Coach". Rogers State University. Retrieved 2016-05-10.
  21. ↑ "Blevins Named RSU Golf Coach". Rogers State University. Retrieved 2017-12-08.
  22. ↑ "Blevins Resigns as RSU Head Men's and Women's Golf Coach". Rogers State University. Retrieved 2017-12-08.
  23. ↑ "Fosdick Appointed RSU Head Golf Coach". Rogers State University. Retrieved 2017-12-08.
  24. ↑ "RSU Golf's Fosdick to Take Position at UCO". Rogers State University. Retrieved 2017-12-08.
  25. ↑ "Dickinson Joins RSU Golf as Head Coach". Rogers State University. Retrieved 2017-12-08.
  26. ↑ "Hocutt Selected as RSU Women's Golf Head Coach". Rogers State University. Retrieved 2017-12-08.
  27. ↑ "Steve Brown Tabbed as RSU Men's Golf Head Coach". Rogers State University. Retrieved 2017-12-08.
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