Special to the Reporter

Dennis E. Toney will bring more than 20 years of experience in athletic administration to his new position as the University of Montevallo’s director of athletics. Toney’s appointment, which became effective Aug. 1, was announced last week by UM President Robert M. McChesney.

Toney comes to Montevallo after serving as associate director of athletics for administration and finance at Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, Va. At VMI, he was responsible for the day-to-day oversight of intercollegiate athletic operations at the NCAA Division I school, which fields 15 teams.

&uot;Montevallo is both pleased and fortunate to have Dennis Toney as our new director of athletics,&uot; McChesney said. &uot;Mr. Toney brings a wide range of experience in athletic administration and possesses the leadership skills to move our athletic program to the next level.&uot;

Toney said he was &uot;impressed during the interview with the coaching staff, administration and commitment to athletics at the University of Montevallo.

&uot;I look forward to working with the Montevallo community, coaches, student-athletes and faculty in the continued growth and success of Falcon athletic programs,&uot; he said.

Toney joined the VMI staff in 1999, supervising athletic department internal operations, including budgets, facility management and the ticket office. Toney also served as team administrator for men’s soccer, baseball and swimming. A member of the NCAA Division I Athletics Peer-Review Certification Committee, he served as tournament manager for the 2000 NCAA Rifle Championships and as meet director for the 2001 Southern Conference Track Championships.

From 1996 until 1999, Toney was assistant director of athletics at the University of Massachusetts. While at Amherst, Toney directed game operations and event management for all university athletic events, supervised ticket sales and assisted the athletic director in revenue projections, public relations and fund raising.

Toney’s credentials also include nine years of service at the University of South Carolina. He joined the Gamecocks in 1983 as an administrative assistant to the athletic director. The following year, he was named assistant business manager for the athletic program. Toney was promoted to assistant Gamecock Club director in 1985 and became director of ticket operations at USC in 1988, managing the 10-member staff that handled sales exceeding $8 million annually.

Toney also worked in the private sector from 1992-96 as a financial consultant for Wachovia Bank/Interstate Johnson Lane in Columbia, S.C.

A 1973 graduate of Bridgewater College, Toney earned a master’s degree in education from the University of Virginia in 1979 and a master’s degree in sports administration and facility management from Ohio University in 1983.

A native of Buckingham County, Va., Toney began his athletic career in coaching, serving as assistant football and baseball coach at Prince Edward County High School for a year immediately after receiving his undergraduate degree. He was head football coach at Elkton (Va.) High School from 1974-79 before joining Altavista (Va.) High School as football coach and athletic director, a position he held from 1979-82.

Toney was also an assistant football coach at Ohio University while pursuing his master’s degree.

Toney is a member of a number of professional organizations such as the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics; the National Association of Athletics, Marketing and Development Directors; and the College Athletic Business Managers Association.

An avid reader of business and marketing publications, Toney has been active in community organizations such as the Lexington Sunrise Rotary Club, Habitat for Humanity, Road & River Relay and the July 4th Balloon Rally.

Toney and his wife, Pam, have a son, Andrew, and a daughter, Allison