On Oct. 17, 2022, Ryan Erlacher became the third director of athletics in Augusta University's history. Erlacher has made an immediate impact in Augusta. During his first three years at the helm, academic excellence, branding, facility enhancements, competitive success, and community engagement have become hallmarks of the Augusta Athletics Department.
During his first three seasons, Erlacher ushered in a new era, announcing a new partnership with Under Armour/BSN as the official apparel for Jaguar athletics. He also spearheaded the creation and induction of the first Augusta Athletics Hall of Fame in 2025.
Facility enhancements have been a priority since Erlacher’s arrival and the department has seen significant growth in this area. Christenberry Fieldhouse, home of the JAGS, saw a $5M exterior renovation and expansion that included a modern new exterior skin, digital message ticker and enhanced entrances. The department opened the new Al & Yvette Harris Sports Performance Center in 2025, which serves as a state-of-the-art sports training facility for student-athletes. The baseball stadium received several upgrades including a 450-capacity permanent seating structure with a press box, a massive new electronic scoreboard, updated outfield wall system and new batting cages. Softball also received new batting cages and will undergo major renovation this coming fall to mirror the work done at baseball, which includes a 250-capacity permanent seating structure. In addition, the J. Fleming Norvell Golf House underwent a refresh that included new flooring, paint, furniture and branding aimed at modernizing the space. A new locker room facility was established for both the cross country/track and tennis programs giving each team a new home.
In 2025, Erlacher announced the addition of indoor track & field to Augusta’s sports sponsorship along with bringing on board the program’s first full-time strength and conditioning coach. In the same year, both golf programs received and accepted an invitation to compete in the West Coast Conference (DI).
Augusta University student-athletes continued their commitment to academic excellence in 2025 setting new program records for highest departmentwide grade point average (3.35 GPA), number of teams earning a 3.0+ GPA (14 out of 15), and number of student-athletes earning a 3.0+ GPA.
Under Erlacher’s leadership, Augusta Athletics has also become a pillar in the community, earning a Top 10 NCAA Community Engagement ranking and being named an NCAA Division II Award of Excellence finalist in 2024. In 2025, Augusta was recognized as the national runner-up for the NCAA Division II Award of Excellence.Â
The Jaguars have excelled in competition over the past three seasons. Thirteen AU teams earned conference championships between 2022 and 2025 with eighteen teams tabbed for NCAA postseason appearances. In 2023, the men’s basketball team won the PBC and hosted the Southeast Regional for the NCAA tournament, ranking as high as number #2 in the nation. Women’s golf reached the NCAA National Championship field for the first time in program history in 2023, followed by two of the best women’s basketball seasons in recent history in 2024 and 2025. The men’s cross-country team won their sixth straight PBC Championship and had their highest finish at the NCAA national tournament in 2025. Men’s golf won their third straight conference championship and in 2025 made a national championship appearance after making it through a very challenging regional hosted by FSU. Volleyball also saw a program first after winning both the PBC regular season and tournament championships in the fall of 2023, advancing to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen and the program was ranked in the Top 25 for the first time in 2024. During this time, the Jaguars have led the Peach Belt Conference Commissioner’s Cup standings in five of the last seven seasons.
Erlacher's first year saw the implementation of new Department of Athletics Core Values. Developed in conjunction with every member of the Jaguar athletics staff, the AU Athletics Core Values are used to impact the culture of the entire department. The five Core Values are integrity, professionalism, excellence, trust, and being purposeful. The values work together with the Student-Athlete Pledge, which was also created through team-based efforts and serves as a promise outlining what student-athletes can expect from members of Augusta Athletics.
Externally, the department has experienced record-breaking fundraising numbers over the past three seasons and that success speaks directly to the remarkable support AU Athletics is receiving within the community and from alumni. In addition, external support continues to drive facility enhancement opportunities, including a new community partnership program that has seen tremendous growth and success.
Prior to his time with Augusta University, Erlacher served for over 18 years as a coach and administrator in intercollegiate athletics. As chief athletics administrator at Clayton State, he oversaw 11 sports and managed more than 30 staff members. The Clayton State athletics program experienced unprecedented success under Erlacher's leadership. Known as an innovative, transformational, and student-athlete-centered leader, he led Clayton State Athletics to achieve significant growth in multiple areas and left his mark on Laker Nation.
With a positive student-athlete experience being of the utmost importance, one of Erlacher's major initiatives was the formation of a comprehensive set of core values for Laker Athletics early in his tenure. Developed in conjunction with every member of the Clayton State Athletics staff, these values intentionally focus on elevating service standards, shaping a team-first culture, and setting a higher standard aimed at comprehensive excellence.
That investment paid off with the Lakers posting their highest-ever finish in both the Peach Belt Conference Commissioner's Cup and Learfield IMG Director's Cup. In addition, the department has seen approximately 50% of their programs qualify for NCAA Division II postseason competition and 90% of teams qualify for PBC postseason play. Several teams were ranked in the Top 25, multiple Coach and Player of the Year honors were earned, and numerous student-athlete academics and athletics achievements attained within the Peach Belt Conference and at the national level.
Clayton State Athletics fundraising reached all-time highs during Erlacher's tenure. Community partnerships thrived, experiencing a 225% increase in the total number of partners, accounting for a 580% rise in overall partnership values.
During Give4Dreams, the University's Day of Giving Challenge, Laker Athletics experienced unprecedented heights. The accomplishments marked the highest number of donors and amount raised compared to any other campaign across campus. In 2022, the Lakers raised an astonishing $130,000, 6,742% more than the 2018 campaign among 545 donors. The department received the Clayton State University Division Cup for their fundraising efforts, and again, experienced the most donors and total amount raised across campus. Erlacher left the Lakers in good financial shape. During his time with the program, the athletics reserve increased 1,500% and the foundation account by 340%.
Soon after his arrival at CSU, Erlacher implemented a new academic excellence plan aimed at increasing resources and assistance for student-athletes to position them to achieve greater success in the classroom. Under his leadership, academic success within Clayton State Athletics reached an all-time high, with the department achieving above a 3.0 GPA for eight consecutive semesters prior to his departure and earning the department’s highest GPA is program history in 2021. The accomplishments in the classroom led the Lakers to earn the prestigious PBC President's Academic Award for three consecutive years (2019, 2021 & 2022), the first time a PBC member institution has 3-peated. Community engagement was at an all-time high in 2020-2022 when Clayton State Athletics finished both years ranked #4 in the country among NCAA DII member institutions for number of community services hours completed. In 2021, the Lakers were named a finalist for the 2021 NCAA Award of Excellence.
Prior to Clayton State, Erlacher served as the senior associate director of athletics at fellow Peach Belt Conference member institution Flagler College in St. Augustine, Fla., from 2011-18. Erlacher had a brief stop at Newman University as associate director of athletics in 2010, and as assistant athletic director at Northwood University from 2007-10. At the outset of his professional career, Erlacher worked at Florida State University as an athletics assistant from 2006-07 and fellow DI Stetson University from 2004-05. With the latter, he was director of basketball operations for the Hatters. Erlacher began his career as a student assistant for the Flagler College men's basketball team under legendary coach Bo Clark. During that time, the Saints went 91-27 and qualified for the NAIA National Tournament for the first time in program history, reaching No. 2 in the national rankings.
Erlacher earned a bachelor's degree in sport management from Flagler College in 2004 and a master's degree in sport administration from Florida State in 2007. He and his wife Kellie reside in Evans, GA, and are the proud parents of son Austin and daughter Isabelle.
