Rock Hill, S.C. (May 1, 2008) - The South Atlantic Conference Council of Presidents have announced the hiring of Patrick Britz as the next conference commissioner.

Britz will come to the SAC after serving as the Division I intercollegiate programs director for the National Soccer Coaches Association of America for the past three years. He also has extensive experience in collegiate administration. He served as the senior associate athletics director for compliance and administration at Texas Tech University and worked for five years in the NCAA national office. He was assistant athletics director for compliance and student services at East Tennessee State University and began his career as assistant commissioner for championships and compliance for the Southern Conference.

"I am very excited and honored to be the second commissioner of such a well-established and respected conference like the South Atlantic Conference," Britz said.

Britz will replace Doug Echols, who is retiring after serving as commissioner for 19 years. Echols has been the only full-time commissioner since the league was formed as an all-sports conference in 1989. Britz will begin his duties as commissioner in July.

"I am honored to be replacing Doug and will strive to keep the conference moving in a positive direction so that the SAC remains one of the premier Division II conferences in the NCAA," Britz said.

"The South Athletic Conference has benefited for many years from the strong leadership of Commissioner Doug Echols. I am confident that Pat Britz will bring new energy and excitement to our league while continuing to keep the SAC at the forefront of NCAA Division II conferences," said Dr. Jerry McGee, President of Wingate University and chair of the South Atlantic Conference council of presidents.

During his tenure with the NSCAA, Britz was responsible for raising the visibility of men's and women's Division I Intercollegiate soccer. He played a vital role in the establishment and expansion of the Fox Soccer Channel College Match of the Week, including selling corporate sponsorships. He served as the liaison between the NSCAA and various constituent groups, including the NCAA, Division I men's and women's coaches and the National Intercollegiate Soccer Officials Association.

At Texas Tech, Britz was responsible for the school's NCAA compliance program and also had administrative oversight over seven sports. Prior to joining the Texas Tech staff in 2001, he served five years in the membership services area of the NCAA national office, where he supervised the initial-eligibility waiver process for Division I and II and the primary staff liaison to enforcement staff for major infractions cases.

Britz spent three years as assistant commissioner for championships and compliance for the Southern Conference, where he managed the conference's NCAA compliance program and National Letter of Intent program and directed championship operations, before being named assistant athletics director for compliance and student services at East Tennessee State University.

He holds a bachelor's degree from the University of North Carolina Asheville, where he was a four-time academic all-conference selection for the Bulldogs soccer team and graduated as the school's second all-time leading scorer. Britz was inducted into the UNC Asheville Athletics Hall of Fame in February, 2007. In addition, he is the co-author of the book Athletic Scholarships for Dummies, published in December 2005.

Britz said he remembers playing against South Atlantic Conference teams during his collegiate career, and now is looking forward to working with the nine member schools.

"I was impressed with the academic qualities and the leadership at the schools," Britz said.

The executive search firm of Coleman Lew & Associates, Inc. in Charlotte, N.C., a sponsor of the South Atlantic Conference, assisted in the placement of the new commissioner.

The South Atlantic Conference is one of the premier NCAA Division II conferences in the country and strives for academic success and athletic achievement. Since becoming eligible for NCAA Division II postseason play in 1993, the league has sent representatives from all of its sponsored sports to NCAA postseason play.

The South Atlantic Conference has nine member institutions: Brevard College, Brevard, N.C.; Carson-Newman College, Jefferson City, Tenn.; Catawba College, Salisbury, N.C.; Lenoir-Rhyne College, Hickory, N.C.; Lincoln Memorial University, Harrogate, TN; Mars Hill College, Mars Hill, N.C.; Newberry College, Newberry, S.C.; Tusculum College, Greeneville, Tenn.; and Wingate University, Wingate, N.C.

Coleman Lew & Associates, Inc., founded in 1979 and headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is a national retained executive search firm that recruits board members, officers, and senior level executives for national and international companies, academic institutions and non-profit organizations. The firm also provides customized leadership development services to organizations seeking to maximize corporate performance. Member, Association of Executive Search Consultants (AESC).