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General Angela Roberts, Assistant AD - Communications

Director of Athletics Brandon Leimbach Steps Down

DURANGO, Colo. – Fort Lewis College announced on Monday that Director of Athletics Brandon Leimbach has accepted a position at the University of California, Irvine as the Executive Director of Development, Athletics in University Advancement. A native of the southern California region, Leimbach will begin his new role in early May 2022.

During Brandon Leimbach 's time as Director of Athletics at FLC, the department has undergone notable transformations in the pursuit of providing the best possible experience for FLC student-athletes. In his first academic year as the Director of Athletics at FLC, Leimbach restructured the department to better align with modern NCAA Division II institutions by expanding the Athletics administrative team and welcoming in a total of 19 new staff members. In the fall of 2019, he facilitated a partnership with Mercy Regional Medical Center to be the official sports medicine provider for FLC Athletics.

In 2020, during the height of the Covid-19 Pandemic, FLC Athletics raised $107,935 during its Giving Tuesday campaign; a major leap from the $6,005 raised in 2019. Under Leimbach's guidance, the FLC Athletics department would again take a significant step forward as it doubled the 2021 total this past winter, raising $233,531 during the 2022 Giving Tuesday campaign.

Leimbach would also play an instrumental role in securing funds for the new Health Exercise Science facility, which broke ground during the fall of 2021. The state-of-the-art facility will provide FLC Athletics with new women's locker rooms, visiting locker rooms, official's locker rooms, as well as a renovated lobby in Whalen Gymnasium and an auxiliary practice court beginning in the 2022-23 school year. Due to his fundraising acumen, FLC Athletics raised more dollars through major gifts and capital projects in the last three years than any other three-year stretch in the history of the program.

Skyhawk student-athletes have thrived, on and off the field, during Leimbach's tenure. In his first year in 2019-2020, eight different programs increased their win totals from the 2018-19 seasons while 69 student-athletes earned a D2 Athletics Director Association Academic Achievement awards.

Additionally, the FLC women's soccer team hosted its first home playoff game since 2013 last April. The FLC men's basketball team hosted its first home playoff game since 2017-18 earlier this month, and Skyhawks' softball returned to the RMAC Tournament last spring for the first time since 2014.

Leimbach's leadership throughout his three years with the Skyhawks has reached beyond the fundraising numbers and team statistics. He has been active in molding the program into a successful and competitive representation of NCAA Division II athletics, and the foundation laid provides the future leader positive momentum to build upon.

FLC President Tom Stritikus on Leimbach's departure, "Brandon's positive attitude and tremendous work ethic allowed him to create a positive culture and serve as an excellent mentor across our diverse athletics staff.  He has exceptional emotional intelligence and was always intrinsically motivated to advance our institutional goals while providing a world-class experience for our student-athletes. After speaking with Brandon in regard to his future aspirations, I believe that his fundraising acumen will serve him well at UCI and I have no doubt that he will thrive in his new role as he returns home."

Aaron Champenoy, Assistant Athletic Director for External Relations since June 2021, will assume the Interim AD role once Brandon departs for UCI on April 19, 2022.

The nationwide search for the Skyhawks' next permanent AD will begin immediately.
 
 
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