August 15, 2017
EAST STROUDSBURG - Kevin Forde has been named Interim Director of Athletics at East Stroudsburg University, it was announced Tuesday by ESU President Marcia G. Welsh, Ph.D.
Forde will begin his tenure at ESU on Monday, August 21. He replaces Josh Looney, who served the Warriors since January 2016 and recently accepted the Director of Athletics position at Missouri Western.
“We have made great progress in the last two years and I want to ensure that the accomplishments we have made under Josh’s leadership are continued,” said Welsh. “I want to take this opportunity to thank Josh for his leadership and wish him and his family the best as they move on to the next chapter of their lives. We have much to be proud of, with a lot of work to do to continue to move Warrior athletics forward.”
Forde most recently served as Director of Athletics at Wheeling Jesuit University in West Virginia. He has over 20 years of experience in intercollegiate athletics, including 10 years as an athletics administrator.
While at WJU, Forde guided 21 varsity sports, 42 staff members and just under 500 student-athletes from fall 2015 through summer 2017.
Last year, WJU won Mountain East Conference (MEC) championships in women’s cross country, women’s volleyball, women’s basketball and women’s lacrosse, and captured the NCAA Division II Atlantic Region championship in women’s volleyball. Men’s basketball reached the Atlantic Region final, and women’s basketball also qualified for the NCAA regional. The department hosted MEC and NCAA postseason play in women’s volleyball.
In 2015-16, WJU won the national championship in women’s volleyball, held the No. 1 ranking in men’s basketball for the first time in program history and also advanced to the NCAA Tournament in women’s basketball. WJU won MEC titles in women’s volleyball, women’s golf, men’s and women’s basketball, men’s swimming and women’s lacrosse while hosting MEC and NCAA postseason action in women’s volleyball, and the NCAA Atlantic Regional in men’s basketball.
Prior to his time at Wheeling Jesuit, Forde was at University of Mary in Bismarck, North Dakota from 2005 through 2015. He was assistant men’s basketball coach and Assistant Athletic Director for Compliance for four years, before being promoted to Assistant Athletic Director for Internal Operations/CFO in 2009 and to Associate Athletic Director in 2011.
He was also an assistant men’s basketball coach at Southwest Minnesota State from 1997 through 2002, and Minnesota-Crookston from 2002 through 2005. He was also head softball coach at Minnesota-Crookston.
Forde earned his Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics with a minor in Psychology in 2000, and a Master of Science in Education with Leadership specialization in 2002, both from Southwest Minnesota State.
