{"id":8425,"date":"2018-05-30T11:28:28","date_gmt":"2018-05-30T16:28:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.maryville.edu\/mpress\/?p=8425"},"modified":"2018-11-11T18:15:27","modified_gmt":"2018-11-12T00:15:27","slug":"lonnie-folks-returns-to-lead-athletics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.maryville.edu\/mpress\/lonnie-folks-returns-to-lead-athletics\/","title":{"rendered":"A Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵAPPRole Model Returns to Lead Saints Athletics"},"content":{"rendered":"
Lonnie Folks, \u201982, \u201998, is Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵAPP\u2019s new director of athletics and recreation<\/a>. As an ardent supporter and a former Saints student-athlete and coach, Folks is a familiar figure on campus.<\/h6>\n

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\u201cË¿¹ÏÊÓƵAPPhas remained important to me, and I feel fortunate to be coming home to rejoin the campus community,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

After graduating in 1982 with a BS in business management from the John E. Simon School of Business<\/a>, Folks served Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵAPPand the Saints athletic community with distinction for nearly two decades.<\/p>\n

\u201cLonnie Folks represents the best that Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵAPPalumni and employees have to offer \u2013 passion for education, professional integrity, a drive for excellence and winning and a devotion to their alma mater,\u201d says Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵAPPPresident Mark Lombardi, PhD.<\/p>\n

In 2009, Folks was inducted into the Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵAPP Athletics Hall of Fame. That same year, Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵAPPcreated the Lonnie Folks Award to honor former student-athletes, coaches or administrators who exemplify good spirit, sportsmanship, stewardship and service.<\/p>\n

Quitting was not an option<\/strong><\/p>\n

The most important lesson Folks learned as a Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵAPPathlete was not to quit. His freshman year, he started every soccer game in goal and was named Freshman Player of the Year for soccer. His sophomore and junior years, he moved to backup goalie and then to third string because newly recruited players were extremely accomplished goalies.<\/p>\n

\u201cQuitting never crossed my mind because while I was competitive and wanted to play, being part of a team meant something to me,\u201d says Folks. \u201cI still felt important to the team if only as a practice player or driver of the vans.\u201d<\/p>\n

Midway through his senior year he got a spot start and played well enough to become the regular goalie again.\u00a0But staying on the team helped him achieve in other ways, too. \u201cHad I quit, I probably wouldn\u2019t have ventured into coaching, which has defined every professional accomplishment that I\u2019ve had.\u00a0Quitting was not an option, and that has defined my life.\u201d<\/p>\n

A Long Career of Success<\/strong><\/p>\n

Following graduation, Folks worked in Maryville\u2019s athletic department for nearly 20 years. He rose through the ranks to become assistant director of athletics and head coach for women\u2019s soccer and softball, securing four conference titles and two conference tournament titles. He also served as the head women\u2019s basketball coach and sports information director. He was a two-time SLIAC Coach of the Year in both women\u2019s soccer and softball.<\/p>\n

Folks continued his successful career at Stockton University in New Jersey, where he worked for nearly 20 years as director of athletic operations, director of athletics and recreation and director for student affairs operations.<\/p>\n

Even during his time away, Folks remained an active alumnus, serving on the Athletics Hall of Fame Committee, joining the Duchesne Society, emceeing alumni trivia night, regularly attending Alumni Weekend activities and acting as an ambassador to encourage the involvement of fellow alumni.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve stayed involved because I had the opportunity to get an excellent education at Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵAPPand wanted to give back,\u201d says Folks. \u201cIf I\u2019m any good at all today, it\u2019s because of the opportunities that I had a at Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵAPPas a student and an employee.\u201d<\/p>\n

As he returns to Maryville, Folks looks forward to meeting student-athletes and getting to know them beyond their uniforms.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want to know what motivates them and discover what I can do to encourage them to do their best,\u201d says Folks. \u201cI also want to get to know our staff and take my appropriate role on our professional team as we seek to have Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵAPPbe a program of significance, not only within the Great Lakes Valley Conference, but nationally.\u201d<\/p>\n

Having the perspective of a former student-athlete and employee makes Folks uniquely qualified to be Maryville\u2019s new athletic director.<\/p>\n

\u201cAny decisions I make in my new position simply adds support to this precious cargo,\u201d says Folks.<\/p>\n

<\/i>Love<\/span>0<\/span><\/span><\/a> <\/i> <\/i>