RONALD (WOODY) HUNT

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Assistant Athletic Director, Development Officer for Advancement, and Athletic Facilities Manager
whunt@cumberland.edu
(615) 547-1366
CU Baseball Field
Staff
Athletic Department (Additional Duties), Office of Advancement
B.S., Belmont Univeristy
M.S., Middle Tennessee State University

Cumberland University’s Woody Hunt begins his 39th season as head coach and 41st year with the program in 2020. The Phoenix have won three NAIA national championships (2004, 2010, 2014) as well as two runner-up finishes (1995, 2006) during his tenure at CU. He has amassed a 1|599-739-5 overall record heading into the 2020 campaign, including 1|538-713-5 as a four-year institution.

The Phoenix have appeared in 12 NAIA World Series, including six in 11 seasons from 2004-14. Cumberland has won 20 regular season conference championships during Hunt’s tenure, including 10 in the Tennessee Collegiate Athletic Conference (TCAC), six in the Mid-South Conference (MSC) and four in the TranSouth Athletic Conference (TSAC). CU has four district championships, 12 NAIA regional titles and has played in five super regionals as well.

The program has posted 24 seasons with 40 or more victories, including 20 of the last 27 years, while registering 50 or more wins eight times, all since 1997. The 2004 squad set the school-record for victories with 59, followed closely behind by the 2010 club with a 58-9 mark.

The Phoenix have produced 69 NAIA All-Americans, including 2010 National Player of the Year Matt Greener and Steve Green, the only three-time All-American in program history. Eighty of Hunt’s former players have signed professional contracts.

The Phoenix posted a 519-216 record (.706) from 2004-14 with six NAIA World Series appearances, one runner-up finish and three national titles.

Hunt has also achieved individual success in the awards category, claiming 17 Coach of the Year honors, including the 2006 and 2010 Rawlings National Coach of the Year awards. He is a seven-time Southeast Region Coach of the Year and has also been a finalist for the National Coach of the Year Award four times.

Perhaps his greatest achievement lies in the facilities in which his team plays, practices and dresses. Cumberland has one of the finest baseball facilities in the nation, second to none in the NAIA, with Ernest L. Stockton Field and its 500 chairback seats and state-of-the-art press box. The Benton Jennings Indoor Hitting Complex provides year-round access to the Phoenix hitters and pitchers for workouts in inclement weather, and the Jeanette C. Rudy Clubhouse has 40 individual lockers as well as a lounge with a big-screen television, coaches offices, dressing areas and trophy cases.

 

CHRISTINA HOLLIS

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Head Bowling Coach
chollis@cumberland.edu
(615) 547-1364
Phoenix Nest
Staff
Athletic Department
B.A., University of Pikeville
M.B.A., University of Pikeville

Hollis is a graduate of the University of Pikeville and a four-year member of the Bears program from 2010-2014. During her collegiate bowling career, she was a part of the Bears 2012 NAIA National Championship team as well as 2013 and 2014 Xbowling National Collegiate Team Championship Runner-Up 2013.

Hollis earned First-Team NAIA All-American honors, National Collegiate Bowling Coaches Association Honorable Mention All-American, and First-Team Mid-South Conference in 2014.

After graduating, Hollis began her coaching career as a Graduate Assitant for the Women’s Bowling program at Pikeville from 2014-2016. She assisted with recruiting, practice plans, and statistical entries for tournaments. After Pikeville, she went to Union College assisting their men’s team to a Mid-South Conference Runner-Up, was an assistant coach at Life University in Marietta, Georgia, and most recently an assistant coach here at CU since August 2020.

“I am excited that Christina will be our Interim Head Men’s and Women’s Bowling Coach. She brings a wealth of experience to help build strong programs. Christina has already been a volunteer for the program so she knows the players and the Cumberland University culture|” Director of Athletics Ron Pavan said. 

Hollis graduated from the University of Pikeville with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication with a minor in Business in 2014 and a Masters in Business Administration in 2016.

RYAN HUNT

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Head Baseball Coach
rhunt@cumberland.edu
CU Baseball Field
Staff
Athletic Department
B.S., Cumberland University
M.A.E.., Cumberland University

Ryan Hunt begins his first season as the head baseball coach at Cumberland after spending the last six seasons as the head coach at Vol State Community College.

Hunt compiled a 110-100 record entering the 2021 campaign which he is currently 124-110. Prior to Vol State, Hunt was a longtime assistant coach under Woody Hunt from 2002-2015.

Cumberland has won four Tran South Conference and one Mid-South Conference regular-season championships and six Tran South Conference and one Mid-South Conference Tournament title during his tenure as an assistant. The Bulldogs have also claimed five regional championships, four super regional titles and played in six NAIA World Series, winning national championships in 2004, 2010, and 2014. CU was also the NAIA World Series runner-up in 2006 and finished fourth in the nation in 2005.

Hunt has coached 20 NAIA All-Americans and 22 players who signed professional contracts during the previous 12 campaigns.

During his five years at Cumberland as a player, the Bulldogs claimed five conference championships, four conference tournament titles, and two regional championships, advancing to the NAIA World Series in 1997 and 1998.

Hunt graduated from Cumberland with a bachelor’s in Physical Education in 2003 and earned a master’s in Education in 2007.

The Lebanon, Tenn., native was a four-year starter at second base at Lebanon High School from 1993-96, earning All-District honors as a sophomore and senior and All-Midstate Honorable Mention as a sophomore.

He is married to the former Melissa Lauper of Gallatin, Tenn., and the couple has two daughters – eight-year-old Rylee and three-year-old Lyla Noelle.

JAMES HICKS III

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Head Wrestling Coach
jhicks@cumberland.edu
(402) 278-1102
Wrestling Field House
Staff
Athletic Department
B.A., Campbellsville University

James Hicks begins his fifth season as head coach at Cumberland in 2019-20 after serving three years in the same capacity at Darton State College in Albany, Ga.

Hicks led the Phoenix to the Mid-South Conference Tournament championship in his first year at the helm of the program, tying for the team title for the program’s first-ever MSC title. For his efforts he was voted Mid-South Conference West Division Coach of the Year. Sammy Rosario, Nate Croley, Orlando Nawade, Kyle Delaune and Dustin Harris all earned Second Team All-Mid-South honors and Croley went on to garner All-America accolades at 157.

In addition eight student-athletes were named Academic All-Mid-South Conference and Peter Donchev and Nick Paden were recognized as NAIA Scholar-Athletes.

Last season two athletes recieved All-America honors – Anothony Maia and Nathan Walton. Maia reached the national tournament semifianls and Walton reached the seventh pplace event.

In 2016-17, three student-athletes earned All-America honors for the Phoenix – Rosario, Croley and Delaune – tying for the most All-Americans in a single season in program history. Croley was voted Second Team All-Mid-South while nine athletes were named Academic All-Mid-South and Matt Carroll, Evan Cole and Peter Donchev were reconized as NAIA Scholar-Athletes.

Hicks produced two national champions and six junior college All-Americans during his three seasons at Darton State. The Belle Glade, Fla., native was named Region III Eastern District II Coach of the Year in each of the last two seasons for the Cavaliers and the team won the Eastern District II Championship in both campaigns as well.

Twenty-two wrestlers qualified for the NJCAA national tournament over his three years, including nine in 2015 and eight in 2014. The team finished in the Top 25 at the national tourney all three seasons, including 14th in 2015 and 17th in 2014. Darton State also placed third each of his last two years in the non-scholarship division of the NJCAA National Championships. In addition, five wrestlers garnered Academic All-America honors under Hicks’ tutelage.

Hicks served as an assistant coach at his alma mater, Campbellsville University, for four years, with the Tigers placing in the Top 7 at the NAIA Championship in three of those campaigns. Campbellsville won the East Region Qualifier in his final season as an assistant in 2012 and finished in the Top 5 at the NWCA National Duals in 2010, 2011 and 2012. The Tigers also won the Mid-South Conference regular season title in each of his last three years with the program.

During his time as an assistant coach, Campbellsville produced a pair of national champions, 19 NAIA All-Americans, 47 national qualifiers, 10 East Region champions, 17 Mid-South Conference champions and seven NAIA Scholar-Athletes.

Hicks was a three-time NAIA national qualifier and a Daktronics NAIA Scholar-Athlete during his wrestling career at Campbellsville as well as a three-year starter for the Tigers. He was a member of the 2006 NAIA National Championship club at Dana College in Blair, Neb., ranking as high as sixth nationally and receiving the team’s Freshman of the Year award. He placed fourth as a senior at the FHSAA State Championships for Glades Central High School.

Hicks received his bachelor’s in Physical Education from Campbellsville in 2009.

 

GARY HEARTFIELD

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Academic Coach and Instructor
gheartfield@cumberland.edu
615-547-1378
Staff
Academic Success Center, Office of Enrollment, Admissions, and Student Financial Services
B.A., Education, University of South Florida
M.B.A., Systems Management, Florida Institute of Technology

Gary Heartfield has been an Adjunct Professor since the Fall Semester 2019 in the Labry School of Science, Technology & Business where he has taught undergraduate Microcomputer Application, Principles of Information Systems, Introduction to Business and Business Communication. Prior to coming on board at Cumberland University, he was employed in the telecommunications Industry for over 30 years. He has worked as a National Account Manager for both wired and wireless fiber optic equipment sales and has had a career in Supply Chain Management and Equipment Planning for a major Telecom Corporation. He has an instructional background in College and High School Algebra and Computer Programming. He also helped in the development of the Palm Beach County Computer programming curriculum.

As one of the new Academic Coaches at Cumberland I will be focusing on students within the Labry School of Science, Technology & Business. We work with the student to help them with academic and career goal setting, learning strategies, time management, and organizational skill sets. Our goal is to help the student formulate positive and effective habits that lead to academic, professional and personal success.

DONNA HILDERBRAND

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Associate Registrar
dhilderbrand@cumberland.edu
(615) 547-1320
Memorial Hall, Room 104B
Staff
Office of Academic Affairs
B.S., Middle Tennessee State University

Donna is a native of Wilson County, Tennessee. She attended Middle Tennessee State University where she studied history, education, and biology. She was previously employed as a high school teacher by the Wilson County School District, and has also been employed in the healthcare industry at both TriStar Summit Hospital and St. Thomas Medical Partners. 

LANAH HALE

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Executive Assistant to the Provost and VP of Academic Affairs and Registrar, and Academic Affairs Publications Manager
lhale@cumberland.edu
(615) 547-1342
Memorial Hall, Room 103A
Staff
Office of Academic Affairs
A.A., Cumberland University

Lanah Hale began working at Cumberland University in 2010. She serves as the Executive Assistant to the Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs. Additionally, she serves as the Executive Assistant to the Registrar and is the Academic Affairs Publications Manager. She earned her Associate of Arts from Cumberland in 2018, and continues taking coursework toward her Bachelor’s degree. She is an active volunteer in the Wilson County Community including the Wilson County Fair.

 

KURT GORHAM

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Senior Software Developer
kgorham@cumberland.edu
(615) 547-1258
Labry Hall, Room 006
Staff
Office of Campus/Food/Housing/Security, Office of Information Technology
B.B.A., Morehead State University
M.B.A., Morehead State University
M.A.S.M., Cumberland University

 Mr. Kurt Gorham joined Cumberland University in the summer of 2017 as a Senior Software Developer, with primary responsibilities focused on keeping CAMs stable, current, and functional to all university faculty, staff and student populations.  This also includes the duties of maintaining the integrity of the associated Cams Enterprise as its primary database administrator. Other duties include integrations, automations of software projects for the Business Office, and other recent data acquisition activities flowing to/from CAMs besides day-to-day troubleshooting needs of IT concerns.

In the twenty years prior to joining Cumberland University, Mr. Gorham designed, built and implemented many software projects for Fortune 500 clients in the Southeast United States as a contract consultant. Some of his skills include web page design utilizing HTML, stylesheets, Javascript, jQuery and C# .Net coding for User experience/user interface (UX/UI) single page applications.

His accounting clients included Deloitte in Hermitage, Tennessee from 1998-2000, 2007 & 2008. A year working the Space Coast with Harris Corp in Melbourne Florida, assigned to formulate SQL database development as a Software Engineer III for the Government Communications Division in 2005.  Others included Genworth Financial in Brentwood for data migrations, and Lender Processing Services in Jacksonville for the HAMP loan program.

Other clients in health care or service organizations including BCBS of Florida, American Healthways, Vanderbilt UMC patient tracking, and Emdeon (WebMD) utilizing database programming skills for dashboard reporting. There were numerous contracts with government entities: including TVA, State of Tennessee, and Metro Nashville Public Schools.

His projects mostly focused on financial reporting, real-time transactional processing, populating data warehouse repositories, or Procurement software development. There were projects in life insurance for CNA Life, Lamar Life & Bradford Life.  Several clients for the hospitality sector, working with Smith Travel Research (STR) in 2015 for corporate performance reporting, and TravLynx in 2012 that hosts a centralized reservation system for 10,000+ hotel properties, hosted in the cloud environment. Both are located in Hendersonville Tennessee.

Mr. Kurt Gorham was nominated for inclusion in the Marquis Who’s Who in Information Technology (2023).

ANDREA GARRELS

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Assistant Director, Retention and TN Promise Support
agarrels@cumberland.edu
(615) 547-1206
Learning and Career Commons, Room 202
Staff
Office of Enrollment, Admissions, and Student Financial Services
B.A., University of San Diego
M.A.E., Cumberland University

Andrea Garrels joined the University in the Fall of 2019 after 25 years of telecommuting for a business consulting firm based in Anchorage, Alaska. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from the University of San Diego, and a Master of Arts in Education from Cumberland University.

When not working, Andrea enjoys spending time with her family, Predators hockey games and travels to the beach.