June 19, 2004

Columbia, SC –

Val Sheley, who has experience as an athletics director and in several other administrative areas, including compliance, academics, and student-athlete development, has been named Senior Associate Athletics Director/Senior Women’s Administrator at the University of South Carolina. Sheley fills the position previously held by Laurie Massa, who was at USC for nine years before taking the Athletics Director’s post at John Carroll University last month.

Sheley returns to USC for the second time during her college athletics career, having served as an Associate Athletics Director/NCAA Compliance Officer at the school from 1995-2000. She left Carolina to become Athletics Director at Presbyterian College, where she oversaw that school’s athletics program for three years. The past year, Sheley served as the interim Associate Athletics Director for Academic Support and Career Development at the University of Maryland.

“The Carolina athletics program is extremely fortunate to bring back Val Sheley to assume the role of Senior Women’s Administrator,” said Mike McGee, USC Director of Athletics. “She possesses a strong background in administration and she has a wealth of experience, having been an AD and having worked directly with virtually all aspects of an athletics program. We welcome her and her husband, Mike, back to the Gamecock athletics department.”

Sheley began her work in athletics administration in 1988, where she served as the Assistant AD/Senior Women’s Administrator at the University of North Carolina-Asheville. From there she went to the NCAA Office in Overland Park, Kansas, working as a legislative assistant for the national organization.

“I am so excited about coming back to Carolina and being a part of an outstanding athletics program,” said Sheley. “There is a great group of coaches and staff in place at USC and I am very much looking forward to serving with them.”

Sheley has a bachelor’s degree from Murray State University, where she excelled as a track athlete. She has a master’s degree from the University of Houston. Sheley was a 1984 Olympic qualifier for Great Britain’s track and field team. Her husband, Mike, is a former track All-America and NCAA relay champion at South Carolina. Sheley is also a graduate of the Sports Management Institute.