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Travis Whipple

Travis Whipple

Travis Whipple will enter his third year as Fort Lewis College Director of Athletics in the 2024-25 academic year.

In his first year at the helm, the department reached milestones on the playing surface, in the classroom, and in the community. As a department, the Skyhawks surpassed 2,000 hours of community service and maintained a grade point average above 3.20. Fort Lewis saw an RMAC regular-season title as well as a tournament championship.

Whipple was directly responsible for an increase in Giving Tuesday efforts which led to a 30% growth in donations, translating to $110,000 of support for Skyhawks athletics. In correlation, Whipple and the administrative team relaunched the Skyhawks Club—the official fundraising arm for FLC Athletics.

He also guided the department through a full review process that led to a multi-year strategic plan. Whipple finalized a multi-million dollar commitment from CommonSpirit to establish a new performance center which is set to open in the fall. Under Whipple’s guidance, Fort Lewis added indoor track and field, increased roster sizes, and boasted a 90% retention rate in 2022-23.

Whipple comes to Durango with over 15 years of senior-level experience, serving most recently as the Vice President of College Relations at Crown College (NCAA DIII) in St. Bonifacius, Minnesota. Whipple’s role at Crown College had him providing oversight for fundraising, development, community, and alumni relations while leading the Department of Athletics. He also represented the department at institutional, conference, regional, and NCAA levels.

Whipple holds an M.S. in Educational Leadership from Winona State University, in addition to his undergraduate degree which was completed in 2008. Upon completion of his education at WSU, he served as the Assistant Athletic Director for External Operations at his alma mater. He quickly grew within the role, going on to amass a wealth of experience within the NCAA Division I and Division II ranks. Stops along the way have been at institutions such as the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, Texas A&M Corpus Christi, North Central, and Oral Roberts University.

In addition to his prowess as an administrator, Whipple carries a reputation for success that dates back to his time as a highly touted men’s basketball student-athlete for the WSU Warriors. Whipple was an instrumental member of the two-time national champion Warriors’ squad (2006, 2008) while also guiding his team to three Northern Sun Athletic Conference championships. He still ranks in the top 10 in career games played (144, 2nd), three-point shooting percentage (44.06%, 4th), and assists (335, 8th).

Whipple’s time as a student-athlete, in conjunction with his years as an athletic administrator, blends seamlessly with his pursuit of greatness in all aspects of athletics. From winning on the field to performing well in the classroom and community, his vision presents a commitment to mentoring, supporting, and helping develop educated, caring, well-rounded, and productive citizens who are highly employable and equipped to succeed in all aspects of life.
 
Whipple and his wife, Kim, have a daughter Mia and a son Kai who are excited to support the program as well.