Officials named Michael Lipitz GW’s associate vice president and director of athletics last week, the latest announcement in a slew of sports hires over the summer. He joins the Revolutionaries after five years as director of intercollegiate athletics at the University of Illinois Chicago.
Foggy Bottom is already sweltering in August, but Lipitz’s Aug. 19 start date puts him in the hot seat with a quick turnaround for fall season team debuts. He has the opportunity to jumpstart a new era of GW sports, but first he must prove himself a catalyst for fundraising, mental health services and athletic success: the three pillars that the current department has struggled to solidify — and ones that are Lipitz’s strengths.
GW’s external hiring decision provides a fresh start for the department. The announcement of Lipitz’s arrival comes after current Athletic Director Tonya Vogel announced her departure in May. Vogel was promoted up the administrative ranks after 12 years as the women’s soccer head coach. She’s a double alumna and an integral player on the women’s soccer team, becoming the first member inducted into the University’s Athletic Hall of Fame. Stated plainly, her legacy leaves big shoes to fill.
An internal hire with a similarly comprehensive understanding of our school’s athletic ethos is appealing, but bringing in a leader with new energy is just as beneficial for pushing the department to new heights. Other recent external hires include swimming and diving Head Coach Francisco “Chico” Rego of the Georgia Institute of Technology and women’s soccer Head Coach Jeremy Williams of the University of Miami, as well as several other assistant coaching positions.
Lipitz has a history of multimillion-dollar improvements at his previous schools, a promising point for GW after a shaky stint of Smith Center renovation controversies that sent shockwaves through the athletic department and disappointed staff, players and fans. Lipitz oversaw the multi-million dollar renovation of Flames Field, UIC’s soccer venue, and led initiatives to rebuild the Reynolds Coliseum at North Carolina State University through a $35 million renovation project during his nine years as the school’s deputy athletic director.
Lipitz should build off the momentum of the 2023 GW Athletics Buff & Blue Fund Challenge campaign that raised more than $460,000, a record amount for the annual fundraiser. Under Lipitz, UIC secured the largest donation to women’s athletics in school history — an exciting notion for our 10 women’s sports teams. Especially after the University cut seven teams at the end of the 2020-21 season due to pandemic economic woes, these fundraising stats bode well for the future of the department.
Lipitz also championed efforts to improve mental health among UIC athletes by hiring a staffer tasked with supporting student athlete mental health. The school then signed a contract with a Chicago-based counseling group to provide team virtual workshops and one-on-one counseling sessions. UIC athletes could also participate in “Mindful Mondays,” a weekly virtual meeting led by a counselor or Student Athlete Advisory Committee member to discuss mental health and self-care.
Adopting a similar approach to athlete mental health support at GW would be a welcome change for the numerous student athletes who called for more mental health resources from the department in the spring. After the University added a director of student-athlete mental health in January, athletes reported long waiting times to book an appointment due to limited availability. Athletics officials then launched a fundraiser to expand on its resources, stating that the student demand for support was “much higher” than what current staff can maintain, but the campaign reached a third of its $25,000 goal.
Plus, most teams are aching for a conference title. The 2023-2024 season saw just two conference wins for swim and dive and rowing.
In 2022, Lipitz helped transition UIC from the Horizon League to the Missouri Valley Conference, fostering a new era of better competition for the Flames. Over the five seasons before their conference change, UIC men’s soccer, baseball, women’s tennis, and softball all won Horizon League titles. All but one of those five programs grabbed multiple championships and postseason bids.
Over the same time frame, GW men’s and women’s swimming and diving, women’s basketball, softball, and women’s cross country all claimed Atlantic 10 titles, with swimming and diving and softball earning multiple wins.
Notably, UIC’s performance in the Missouri Valley Conference has yet to reflect the success it had in the Horizon League. But the lack of recent conference titles at GW shows that regardless, Lipitz’s transition comes at a crucial time. As Lipitz steps into a new role and conference, he has a slate of fresh coaching staff that could bring the Revolutionaries to conference triumphs like they experienced in past seasons.
Departmental challenges may remain, but Lipitz’s hiring could usher in a promising future. With a proven track record of financial growth, strategic renovations and mental health support, Lipitz has the potential to be GW Athletics’ missing piece.
