The Daily Record
Campbell Changes Chain Of Command With Plans To Build Remaining Consistent
By AL MYATT
Sports Editor
Campbell recently sent out a statement that athletic director Bob Roller would report directly to Dr. Bradley Creed, university president.
Roller had previously reported to Dr. Dennis Bazemore, vice president for student life.
The move streamlines administrative procedures, is consistent with general collegiate practice and gives Creed, an athletic devotee and runner of some note, opportunity for direct input on the Camels’ NCAA Division I programs.
“It really just falls in line with the majority of Division I institutions,” Roller said. “We were somewhat in the minority. Not that there was any real issue but Dr. Creed just felt that the best way was a direct line and then there’s no gray area.”
Less than five percent of Division I athletic directors report to someone other than the institution CEO, Creed noted in the CU release. Campbell has been on the move this millenium in terms of facilities, conference affiliation and competitive diversity.
Roller has been a major part of that since his arrival in July of 2011.
“Bob Roller has given his all to make each program within Campbell University athletics successful,” Creed said. “The number of positive changes that he has spearheaded for athletic facilities, student athlete support, and related is remarkable.
“I look forward to working directly with Bob as we continue his progress in turning Campbell athletics into one of the premier programs in the Big South Conference.”
Roller’s tenure has seen Campbell athletics achieve its highest academic marks in school history. Campbell student-athletes have maintained an overall GPA of 3.042 over the past two seasons.
During that same period, 42 percent of Campbell’s 480 student- athletes among its 21 NCAA Division I sports maintained an overall GPA of 3.25 or higher.
On the field the women’s golf team has won three Big South Conference championships (2012, 2014 and 2016) and competed in five NCAA regionals and two NCAA championships.
The men’s golf team competed in this year’s NCAA regionals. The men’s cross country team won the 2015 Big South title.
The baseball team won the Big South regular season title in 2013 and the tournament championship in 2014, when it also earned a berth in the NCAA tournament.
Overall, Campbell athletics’ 21 Division I programs have seen steady improvement in the standings. That culminates with Campbell’s highest ranking in the overall All-Sports Trophy named this week at the Big South Conference Spring Meetings.
“I am most appreciative to Dr. Creed for his confidence and support in this transition,” Roller said. “It’s been an amazing first five years working with Dr. Bazemore and the entire University Cabinet.
“Carolyn and I have loved becoming a part of the Campbell community and Buies Creek. The Campbell brand has grown considerably across our state and nation, and there is no reason to slow down. “Our alumni and boosters deserve much of the credit for this growth as we have received tremendous support from these groups.”
Roller has led a transformation of Campbell athletics through major facility improvements and record fundraising. Major facility additions and expansions he has overseen include:
• Installing a four-sided center hung LED display scoreboard and court-side LED scorer’s table at the John W. Pope Jr. Convocation Center, where the basketball and volleyball teams play
• Opening the Burt Family Sports Performance Center, adding lights, and completing the West grandstand and press box at Barker-Lane Stadium, where the football and women’s lacrosse teams play
• Renovating and dedicating Jim Perry Stadium, where the baseball team plays
• Dedicating the Irwin Belk Track and Clarence Roberts Field
• Renovating Eakes Athletics Complex, home to the men’s and women’s soccer teams
• Opening Amanda Littlejohn Stadium, where the softball team plays Construction on the Jim and Daphne Perry Pavilion at the baseball stadium began in early May.
The expansion will add locker rooms and offices for the baseball program and additional seating and VIP viewing desks for fans.
A Daktronics video board will also be installed this summer at Barker-Lane Stadium, where the Camels play football.
In addition, Roller led the creation of The CAMMYs, an awards ceremony for student-athletes. He also was instrumental in Campbell winning the bid to host the 2016 Big South Men’s Basketball Championship. The 2016 event held in Buies Creek drew the tournament’s highest attendance in the last five years.
During Roller’s tenure, Campbell has also co-hosted the 2013 and 2015 NCAA Women’s Soccer College Cup and the 2014 NCAA Men’s Soccer College Cup, and hosted the 2015 Big South softball championship and the 2014 Southern Conference wrestling championship.
Campbell will co-host the 2016 NCAA Women’s Soccer College Cup and the 2017 NCAA Women’s lacrosse championship.
“I had the opportunity to chair the search committee for the athletics director when the committee recommended the employment of Bob Roller,” Bazemore said. “This was a great choice and I have enjoyed working with Bob since he arrived at Campbell.
“I am very pleased with his leadership on our campus and his desire to make our athletics program very successful and continue to improve our athletic facilities.”
Before joining Campbell in 2011, Roller served as the athletics director at Samford University for 11 years. Creed was Samford’s provost from 2006 to 2015 before becoming Campbell’s president.
A Pearisburg, Va., native, Roller earned his undergraduate degree from Virginia Tech in 1983 and a master’s in education administration from Samford. He and his wife, Carolyn, have one son, Brad; and he has three stepchildren: Kerstin, Kyle and Karrah.
In addition to Roller’s reporting change, Bazemore has added dean of student duties to his responsibilities. In this capacity, Bazemore will lead all programming associated with student activities, campus recreation, counseling, residence life and related. Bazemore is a member of the Campbell University President’s Cabinet.
Creed is in his first year as CU president. His administration has been characterized by widespread involvement in campus activities.
“He’s just been received so well university-wide,” Roller said. “Obviously, from my world, which is athletics, people really see his interest and his wife Kathy’s interest in being at the games and knowing the studentathletes.
“He took a heavy role in our CAMMYS, He did a video for it that was just tremendous. He’s been outstanding. Most definitely, athletics is in his family lineage. Some coaches on his wife’s side, etcetera.”
Soccer Stadium On Radar
CU will continue to develop athletic facilities.
“We’re in the last phase of fundraising for the Jim and Daphne Perry Pavilion,” Roller said. “It’s under way. The demolition has been done. … It’s going to happen. We’re just about 90 percent home. We’re still kind of closing the loop on that.”
The soccer stadium is a work in progress.
“We have just done a pretty major renovation with the soccer stadium and with the softball and soccer lockers,” Roller said. “It’s a part of campus that’s not seen very often, back in the back there. The offices for both men’s and women’s soccer and softball have seen a complete makeover and lockers.
“We’ve added a beautiful press box and bench area at the soccer stadium. …
“The last piece that we need to do for soccer is build a stadium there, on the hill on the other side because it’s a beautiful venue and we’ve got two very good soccer programs. Right now, there’s just a set of bleachers on top of the hill. … What we want to do is just make it look more like a Division I college soccer stadium, which everything else is except the seating.
“We’ve upgraded facilities so tremendously here that those that are 10 to 15 years behind, it’s more noticeable now.”
CU has been working on forging a relationship with the North Carolina Independent School Athletic Association to host major events for that group.
The NCISAA recently held its 3-A track meet at Campbell. The event went well from the perspective of Campbell and the private schools.
“Just great feedback,” Roller said. “People have written and talked about how well it was received. The biggest issue for the indoor events is scheduling. The convocation center is used not only for basketball, men and women, and volleyball but for quite a few other Campbell activities because of its beauty and size.
“If somebody wanted gymnastics or high school wrestling or high school basketball, our biggest issue at the moment is a window of time to pull it off.
“The track or the football stadium or the baseball stadium is more open. They know we can put on a first-class event but it’s a scheduling matrix that gets confusing. They don’t have a complete 100 percent go yet and, if they do, we don’t have the Big South schedule yet.
“The Big South (basketball) schedule is given to us in August every year for the following season. Feb. 19, we may have a men’s and women’s game that day. That’s hard to have a gymnastics tournament. … That’s the big puzzle piece that we have to try to juggle and play.
“The first priority to me is Campbell Division I athletics in that building. That’s what I’m held accountable for.
Successful fundraising efforts have enabled improved facilities.
“Our alums and donors have been outstanding in the past five years,” Roller said. “The football, baseball, soccer, softball, Amanda Littlejohn Stadium, Irwin Belk Track — all of this has been from outside sources. … Jim and Daphne Perry have been tremendous. That mandate has not changed that we are required to raise it. We have just had tremendous support from Campbell alums and supporters. That’s really made the difference.”
Tunnel Nearing Completion
A tunnel beneath U.S. 421 will soon be completed and ease access to the football facilities from the main campus.
“That tunnel should be finished this month,” Roller said. “It will be so much safer and really, really nice. We’ve been through some construction pains to say the least but it will hopefully be worth it. It was a Department of Transportation construction, of course.”
(Campbell media services contributed to this report)
Construction equipment sits near where the new Jim and Daphne Perry Pavilion will rise at CU’s Jim Perry Stadium for baseball.
Daily Record Photo/Al Myatt
Bob Roller
