In our most recent donor spotlight, SIUE Athletics proudly recognizes Vice Chancellor/Director of Athletics Andrew Gavin and his wife Ashley for their generosity and commitment to the Cougars Champions Fund (CCF).
The Gavins arrived in April 2023 and immediately engrained themselves in the community with their four children – Peyton, Wyatt, Quinn, and Miles. Andrew and Ashley are not only supportive of the Cougars through Andrew's leadership and their commitment to cheering on the Cougars, they give back to SIUE Athletics as All-American Club level donors to the Cougars Champions Fund.
Andrew joined SIUE after nearly six years as the Director of Athletics at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside. Throughout his tenure with the Cougars, he has been dedicated to the department's growth and progress, and his leadership continues to shape the direction and future of SIUE Athletics.
In addition to his role leading the Cougars, Andrew is a respected leader on campus and within the OVC community. You will often see Andrew and his family supporting Cougar teams at home and on the road, proudly representing SIUE and investing in the success of our student-athletes and programs.
Q: What does being a part of the SIUE community mean to you, both professionally and personally?
A: "College campuses in general are places of opportunity, but I think for me, SIUE presented and presents every day, a great opportunity for me to grow professionally, for me to make an impact on our student-athletes, on our coaches and staff, and with our community. Personally, obviously my profession impacts my family and has impacted my family in good ways and challenging ways, like picking up and moving to a different community. It has been fun to have the opportunity to connect my kids with role models, like our student-athletes and being able to provide them with interaction with college athletics in ways that most kids don't get the opportunity. That is really special when you can sit back and appreciate moments like that."
Q: As Vice Chancellor/Director of Athletics, what initially drew you to this opportunity at SIUE?
A: "First and foremost and at its foundation, a competitive itch to get back to Division 1 Athletics. As I dug deeper into this opportunity here and the opportunity professionally, I was drawn to Dr. Minor's leadership and knowing that he was an athletics champion and an advocate. I knew SIUE was a place that was getting better, and it is incredibly important to me to be in a place with momentum and growth and the opportunity to make progress. Personally, community is extremely important not just to me, but Ashley as well. Like the university and our athletics department, it's a community that's experiencing great progress, growth, and excitement."
Q: Why do you give to the Cougars Champions Fund?
A: "Our donors have many options when they consider how to invest their resources and give philanthropically. When you choose to give philanthropically to an organization, it indicates a belief and investment into that mission and vision, and as the leader of SIUE Athletics, I think it's important that I lead the way for that belief and investment."
Q: How do you view the role of the Cougars Champions Fund with an overall success of SIUE Athletics?
"It's incredibly important to our success. Obviously, the financial resources that our donors provide and allow us to invest back in our student-athletes, the growth that we want to achieve, and our commitment to competitive success. But more than that, it's a really meaningful way to connect with our community and with people that want to be our teammates, and the more teammates that we have behind our vision, the easier it is to accomplish it. It has been rewarding and inspiring to see the growth of the CCF, not only in the dollars raised, but more importantly, in the number of donors that have become our teammates."
Q: What would you say to fans, alumni, and supporters who are considering giving to the CCF for the first time?
"I would say it matters, and it's mutual. It matters to what we are trying to build here, in the direction we want to take SIUE Athletics, and it is mutual in that we don't just want the donors to support us, but we want to become part of their lives and their experience with SIUE as well."
Q: Is there a moment so far at SIUE that has reinforced why this place and these people are so special?
"That is Selection Sunday. It was my favorite part of the whole March Madness experience. It was an incredible night winning the OVC title, and obviously being a part of March Madness for the first time was fun, and really everything in between. However, Selection Sunday was really a culmination of the team's success and what they put into it. It showed what Coach Barone has put into the program and how it links with community and school pride and bringing people together. It was a powerful afternoon."
