Averett University

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Averett University
Image:Averett University logo.png

Established: 1859
Type: Private university
Endowment: $21,102,241 [1]
President: Richard Pfau
Faculty: 270
Students: 2,719
Undergraduates: 2,071
Postgraduates: 648
Location: Danville, VA, USA
Campus: Suburban
Colors: Blue and Gold
Mascot: Cougar
Website: www.averett.edu

Averett University is a private college in Danville, Virginia, USA, in south-central Virginia near the North Carolina border.

Contents

[edit] History

The school was chartered in 1859 as Union Female College and became affiliated with the Baptist General Association of Virginia in 1910. The school's name was changed to Averett College and received accreditation as a junior college in 1917. Accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools followed in 1928. Averett became a coeducational four-year college in 1969 and offered its first graduate programs in the 1980s. The school changed its name to Averett University in 2001.

In 2005, the Baptist General Association of Virginia dissolved their ties with Averett after two years of growing disagreement over homosexuality.[2]

[edit] Admissions

In 2005, 84% of applicants were admitted[1]. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

[edit] Academics

Averett offers associate's and bachelor's degrees in approximately 30 majors, a Master of Education degree and a Master of Business Administration degree. The student-to-faculty ratio is 14:1.[citation needed]

[edit] Campus

Averett's main campus is a 19-acre campus adjacent to the Millionaire's Row neighborhood of Danville, Virginia. The 70-acre North Campus Athletic Center and Averett Flight Center at Danville Regional Airport are also located within Danville. The 100-acre Equestrian Center in Pelham, NC lies just across the Virginia-North Carolina border.

Averett's adult education program, Graduate and Professional Studies (GPS), has campus centers in Danville, Richmond and Tidewater. Classes are also offered in more than 25 locations around Virginia.

[edit] Athletics

The Averett Cougars play in NCAA Division III in the USA South Athletic Conference.

[edit] Football

Michael D. Dunlevy will be entering his sixth season as the Averett University Head Coach in 2007 and is already the most winning coach in Averett Football history. The architect of one of the greatest turnarounds in college football, Dunlevy took over a program with 3 wins in two seasons and brought Averett its first football championship in 2006. In the last two seasons the Cougars are 14-6 and have won 10 of their last 11 conference contests.

Dunlevy has more than 18 seasons of coaching experience at the college level. The 1987 graduate from Otterbein College in Ohio most recently served as Defensive Coordinator and Assistant Head Coach at Waynesburg College in Waynesburg, PA. Dunlevy served as an assistant at Waynesburg from 1994-2001. He joined a struggling Yellow Jacket program that had only 38 players, and used his recruiting skills to not only bolster the team numbers, but return focus to academic success as well as athletic success. Dunlevy also served as an Academic Advisor for student-athletes at Waynesburg, and organized alumni fund raising campaigns for the Yellow Jacket athletic programs. Dunlevy was part of a coaching staff that led the Yellow Jackets to four consecutive winning seasons and a 1998 Presidents Athletic Conference Championship.

Prior to joining Waynesburg, Dunlevy served as special teams coordinator/linebackers coach for the Ohio Glory of the World Football League (which is now NFL Europe). He also served on the coaching staffs of The Ohio State University and The University of Toledo.

Dunlevy has used his coaching and recruiting background to help move the Averett University football program in a positive direction. His number one goal is to graduate players and motivate his athletes to be the best they can be both in the classroom and on the field.

Dunlevy resides in Blairs, VA.

Assistant Coaches

J.D. Shaw Assistant Head Football Coach / Offensive Coordinator Entering his sixth season as Offensive Coordinator, J.D. Shaw had the Cougars leading the USA South in Passing 4 of the last 5 years. In 2006 the Cougars enjoyed offensive success that resulted in being ranked #22 in the nation in scoring offense. Shaw comes to Averett University from Waynesburg College where he was a part of one of the most successful times in that football programs history. Shaw started out as Wide Receiver and Tight End Coach working his way to Offensive Coordinator in 5 years. He was a part of 4 consecutive winning seasons and a P.A.C. Championship in 1998. In 1999 Waynesburg College ranked 20th in the nation in points per game with 35.6 points per game. Shaw also was fortunate enough to coach Waynesburg College's all-time leading rusher Mike Stout. In the receiving corps, 4 of the top pass catchers in the history of Waynesburg worked under Shaw.

J.D. Shaw's offensive unit has averaged over 30 points a game for the last 3 seasons.

During his time at Waynesburg, Shaw coached over 15 All-Conference selections, a First Team Verizon Academic All-American and helped place more players on the Conference Academic Honor Roll than any other team in the P.A.C. Before Waynesburg, Shaw was the Offensive Coordinator and Secondary Coach at Waynesburg Central High School. While in college, Shaw worked as a Student Coach at West Virginia University. During his time at W.V.U., he worked with quarterbacks and receivers and was a part of 2 bowl teams (1989 Gator Bowl and the 1988 Fiesta Bowl). While at Averett, Shaw has coached the USA South single rushing record holder and the single season receiving record holder. He coached Averett's first All-American in football and has had the Cougars lead the USA South in passing 4 of the last 5 years.

Shaw holds a B.S. in Education and a M.S. in Childhood Motor Development from W.V.U. Coach Shaw resides in Danville with his daughter Taylor Alyssa.

Offensive Assistants:
Phil Stanley - Offensive Line
Max Roach - Wide Receivers
Chris Hodnett - Tight Ends
Pat Bolen - Asst. Offensive Line



Defensive Assistants:
Cornelius Coleman - Defensive Line
Phillip Kleckler - Linebackers
Jeff Stein - Asst. Linebackers
David Thomas - Asst. Defensive Line
Tim Dunlevy - Asst. Defensive Line / Director of Football Operations

[edit] Baseball

The baseball team has been coached by Ed Fulton (I) since 1997.

[edit] Men's Basketball

The men's basketball team has been coached by Jimmy Allen since the 2004-2005 season. His coaching has brought a luster to Averett's basketball program as of late, winning the past three USA South Athletic Conference tournaments. In March 2007, Averett enjoyed their first bid into the NCAA Division III National Tournament, but was ousted by defending national champions Virginia Wesleyan College in the first round, despite having beaten them earlier in the year.

[edit] Men's Soccer

The men's soccer team has been coached by Jim Gourlay since 1995. Jim Gourlay, a native of Canada, attended Ulster County Community College in New York where he received first team All-America honors in soccer and was one of the top scorers in the nation in 1986. He continued his education at UNC-Chapel Hill where he completed his undergraduate degree in biology and was a member of the most successful team in Carolina history. In 1987, UNC-Chapel Hill won their first ever ACC Tournament Championship and advanced to the NCAA Final Four. Gourlay played soccer professionally for the Raleigh Flyers and Raleigh United in 1993 and 1994 respectively.

Coach Gourlay became involved in coaching at the high school level before moving on to collegiate soccer. He served as assistant coach for Duke University in 1994-95 and helped with both the men's and women's soccer program at UNC-Chapel Hill. Gourlay came to Averett in 1995 as head soccer coach.

[edit] Notes and references

[edit] External links