Duane AaGAARD, athletics director

Duane Aagaard was born and raised in central Florida, graduating from Edgewater High School in Orlando.  He attended college at Palm Beach Atlantic College in West Palm Beach, Florida, and Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia, graduating from Liberty in 2000 with a degree in sport management. Following graduation, Aagaard worked in the marketing department for RDV Sports, the parent company of the Orlando Magic, while completing a master's degree in sport leadership from Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia.

In 2001, Aagaard joined the Student Life staff at Southeastern as the activities director and assistant athletics director. During this time, Aagaard initiated and launched the Student Body Leadership Council (SBLC) as a vehicle for student leadership, campus involvement, and spiritual growth. While Aagaard served in that role, Southeastern was recognized by the Florida Leader magazine as having the state's best orientation week and campus activities. After two years of planning student events, Aagaard moved into athletics full-time as Southeastern's director of athletics.

As the director of athletics, Aagaard has guided Southeastern to become one of the strongest Christian collegiate sports programs in America.  Since 2003, Southeastern has had 99 NCCAA All-Americans, achieved 26 South Region titles, 35 NCCAA II National Tournament appearances, and 13 NCCAA II National Championships.  In addition, Southeastern University was awarded the 2005 and 2007 NCCAA II President's Cup (all-sports award) and finished second in 2006 and 2009.

"While the President's Cup represents the excellence our coaches and athletes achieved in competition," says Aagaard, "I am equally as proud of our accomplishments in the classroom and the Christian service hours our athletes served in the community."

Aagaard was instrumental in guiding the athletics department into the NAIA as well as into membership in the Sun Conference.  Southeastern will also remain affiliated with the NCCAA, making the jump from NCCAA D-II membership to NCCAA D-I.   

Under his leadership, the athletics department launched the athletics leadership institute, a vehicle for leadership development.  The institute was established to train team captains and emerging leaders though retreats, monthly leadership development seminars, weekly leadership meetings with head coaches, and resources which focus on leadership and spiritual development. The athletics leadership institute also established the following five committees to protect the core values of the athletics department:  Leadership Development, Spiritual Development, Christian Service, Social Events, and Life Skills.

Aagaard also enjoys being a college professor, teaching sport management and physical education courses. Aagaard served at Greeneway Church in Orlando as the founder and pastor of Solace, a ministry for people in their 20s, from 2003 to 2005. Aagaard and his wife Katie recently had their first child, Peyton Hope Aagaard, on February 12, 2009.

An article about Aagaard from The (Lakeland, Fla.) Ledger