Tweet

BLACKSBURG – The Virginia Tech Board of Visitors announced Wednesday that Sharon McCloskey, a former senior associate athletics director who retired in June, has been conferred the title of “senior associate athletics director emerita” for her contributions to the university.

The emeritus title may be conferred on retired professors, associate professors, and administrative officers who are specially recommended to the board by Virginia Tech President Timothy D. Sands. Nominated individuals who are approved by the board receive an emeritus certificate from the university.

McCloskey retired as one of the school’s greatest success stories ever. The Falls Church, Virginia, native worked on the grounds crew as an undergraduate at Tech in the late 1970s – helping to re-sod the turf at Lane Stadium at one point – and went on to become the No. 2 person in the athletics department.

McCloskey got a full-time job in the department in 1984 when she was hired as the football office receptionist. From there, she rose up the ranks to recruiting secretary and then senior woman administrator.

In 1988, she became the first woman in college athletics to hold the position of recruiting coordinator at the Division I level. As the recruiting coordinator, she proved to be an innovator, changing schedules for official recruiting visits to make academics the focal point of the visit. She arranged for prospects to meet with professors, department heads and key figures during their trips to campus.

Then-AD Dave Braine named McCloskey an assistant AD in 1992 and promoted her in 1995 to senior associate AD. She served as the interim AD when Braine left for the AD position in Georgia Tech in 1997.

McCloskey was recognized several times throughout her career for achievements. In 2012, the department inducted her into the Virginia Tech Sports Hall of Fame, and this past June, the department announced the creation of the Sharon McCloskey Student-Athlete Endowed Scholarship that will support undergraduate student-athletes participating in women’s athletics programs.

For updates on Virginia Tech Athletics, follow the Hokies on Twitter Follow @hokiesports