LOCK HAVEN - After 23 years of leading the Lock Haven University athletics programs, Sharon E. Taylor has been "re-assigned."
The information of Taylor's re-assignment floated throughout the community Friday afternoon, and was confirmed by university officials later in the day.
The statement, although brief and vague, confirmed Taylor would be back in the classrooms.
"In order to achieve greater efficiency and to meet the needs of a growing department, Lock Haven University will consolidate the athletics faculty and the Department of Sports Studies," the statement read. "This consolidation entails a shift in responsibilities. Effective at the end of the semester, Sharon Taylor will assume teaching duties, while Peter Campbell and Danielle Barney's major responsibilities will continue to reside in directing the LHU athletics programs."
When contacted Friday afternoon, Taylor had no comment on the situation and referred all questions to the university's public relations department.
The statement was e-mailed to the media around 4 p.m.
No timetable has been given as to when a new AD would be selected or if Campbell or Barney would be named new athletic director.
Taylor became athletic director in 1988 after serving as the interim director in 1987-88. Prior to that, she was the university's field hockey coach where she built up a 333-96-27 record, making her the winningest coach in the history of the school. She led the Lady Eagles to six Division II?national championships, seven Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference titles and seven additional national championships or semifinal appearances.
Her lacrosse team also won the Division II national championship in 1979, and in 1991, she was inducted into the Clinton County Chapter of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame. She also received the Katherine Ley Award for outstanding contributions to women's athletics.
While Lock Haven has racked up national titles in sports like softball, and won the Dixon Trophy awarded to the PSAC's best overall program in all sports multiple times under the director of Taylor, some of the community sports have had rough sledding.
Two, in particular.
Lock Haven football hasn't had a winning season in more than 30 years, and has run into hard times to just pick up a one victory. The Bald Eagles haven't won since November 2007, an overtime victory at Clarion University. They've gone four straight years without a victory, and currently take a 42-game losing streak into the 2012 season under second-year head coach John Allen.
The men's basketball program also has the nation's longest losing streak at 37 games under the direction of first-year head coach Mike Nestor. While the program has shown improvement under the energetic Nestor, there hasn't been a victory in 2011-12. The closest loss recently came when a late 3-pointer just rimmed out in a three-point loss to Clarion at Thomas Fieldhouse.
Campbell is currently the Senior Associate Athletics Director and has been in the position for seven years. He has been a member of the department for 11 years where he previously served as soccer coach. Barney, Associate Athletics Director, has been at LHU 10 years, sixth in her current role. She previously served as Sports Information Director at the school from 1999-2004.
Lock Haven athletics offers eight women's Division II programs and seven Division II men's programs. There are two Division I sports: Wrestling and field hockey.
