BLUFFTON, SC- USCB Chancellor Dr. Jane Upshaw announced on Friday the hiring of Ty Rietkovich as the new Interim Athletic Director and Head Women's Softball Coach effective June 16, 2010. Rietkovich is replacing Kim Abbott who resigned effective June 1 to take over the Director of Athletics Development at Columbia International University.
Rietkovich has a 30 year history in athletics including college, high school, semi-professional and competitive travel team sport experience in a variety of sports. Most recently, he has served as Executive Director for the Angels Girls Fast Pitch Softball Organization of Southeast Georgia, the 2006 Under 16 ASA Southern National Champions. The association will have 19 softball players playing for college teams during the 2010-11 academic year.
The new position is a promotion for Coach Rietkovich, who served as Director of Athletic Marketing for USCB during the past two years. Other leadership roles he has held in sports management include Executive Director of the Southern Star Softball Showcases and South Georgia ASA Softball and as a fundraising consultant with Great American Opportunities for the past ten years.
Rietkovich, a native of West Columbia, SC, played football at the University of South Carolina from 1980 to 1983 and was a graduate assistant under Coach Joe Morrison at USC from 1984 to 1986. He also was the Head Football Coach and Athletic Director at Groves High School in Savannah, GA from 1989 to 1996.
While announcing the hiring of Rietkovich, Dr. Upshaw remarked, “USCB is very proud to have this experienced athletic administrator and softball coach become a member of our team. He knows USCB, having served as our athletics marketing lead. USCB knows the excellent quality of his work and the intensity of his commitment to the success of Sand Shark athletics.”
“It is both an honor and a privilege to be named the Interim Athletic Director and first Head Women's Softball Coach at USCB,” said Coach Rietkovich, adding “Kim Abbott did an outstanding job getting Sand Shark Athletics off to a strong start and I look forward to the opportunities that lie ahead as we take the next steps forward to support this important aspect of university life at USCB. Of course, we rely on our region's support as we move forward to a build a full complement of athletics teams and facilities at USCB.”
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