Alex Gary to resign after nearly five years as Athletics Director at WCU
Western Carolina University announced today that Alex Gary, Catamount Athletics director since May 2020, has resigned from his position.
Kyle Pifer, deputy director of athletics at WCU, will serve as interim athletics director until a replacement is hired.
“I’ve enjoyed serving Catamount student-athletes and coaches for the past five years,” Gary said. “WCU will always hold a special place in my heart and I will always be a Catamount.”
WCU Chancellor Kelli R. Brown shared her gratitude for Gary’s five years of athletics leadership at the university.
“WCU will continue to move forward with our ambitious fundraising goals in support of the critical needs for athletics facilities within the increasing complexity of the regulatory and competition landscape of collegiate sports,” Brown said. “I am immensely grateful to Alex for all he has done to advance Catamount athletics.”
Gary joined WCU Athletics at the height of the COVID pandemic. He led the division through that challenging time with great success. Since then, Gary has been a strong advocate for student-athletes and for improving the competitive spirit of WCU Athletics.
Under his leadership, WCU has seen winning seasons in nearly all sports. For the past two years, women’s soccer has been SoCon champions, which earned them a spot at the NCAA championship in 2023 and an invitation to be recognized by the North Carolina General Assembly in Raleigh last spring.
Gary has also had a keen eye for recruiting coaching talent. During his tenure, he successfully recruited outstanding head coaches for football, baseball, men’s basketball, women’s basketball, and women’s golf. Gary also established the first full-time director of student-athlete development position which oversees the WHEE CLIMB (Creating Leaders in the Mountains and Beyond) program.
A search for WCU’s next director of athletics will commence soon.
