LSUS Director of Athletics Lucas Morgan selected as President of NAIA-ADA, LSUA's Tyler Unsicker joins Board

WHITE LAKE, Mich. (July 24, 2026) - The NAIA Athletics Directors Association (NAIA-ADA), part of the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), has selected Lucas Morgan, director of athletics at Louisiana State University Shreveport, to serve as President for the 2026-27 membership year. LSUS is one of 11 member schools in the Red River Athletic Conference.

 

The reigning RRAC Athletic Director of the Year has led the Pilots since 2016, elevating LSUS to an NAIA powerhouse in several sports, not only through athletic excellence but also through impressive academic achievements and the recognition of its leaders. Just last year (2025), the Pilots won their first-ever national championship, capturing the NAIA World Series title with a perfect 59-0 season. The team was the first NAIA school to visit the White House upon invitation by President Donald J. Trump.

 

LSUS athletics under Morgan has earned 42 RRAC conference championships, 37 national tournament appearances, and nine opening-round titles during his tenure. Under Morgan's mandate for academic success, the student-athletes have excelled, with nearly 65 percent maintaining GPAs of 3.0 or higher. In 2025, he received National Athletic Director of the Year honors from NACDA.

 

Morgan has demonstrated his leadership in the NAIA, serving on the NAIA National Administrative Council, and he previously served as 2nd Vice President of NAIA-ADA. He's been a member of several national committees, including the NAIA Competitive Experience Community and the Minority Opportunities Athletics Association Committee.

 

Dr. Jesse Godding, director of athletics at Nelson University from the Sooner Athletic Conference, passes the gavel onto Morgan to lead the organization, whose purpose is to engage NAIA athletic directors with meaningful collaboration, forums and national recognition; empower NAIA athletic directors in their professional development and leadership roles in the NAIA; and to promote NAIA athletic directors' collective voice on issues affecting membership and college athletics on a national scale.

 

"It is an honor and a privilege to serve as the next President of the NAIA-ADA," said Morgan. "I am deeply grateful for the trust placed in me by my colleagues, and I'm inspired by the dedication of the leaders before me who have helped advance both the NAIA and NACDA. As we move forward, I am committed to leading through service by listening, collaborating, and supporting our NAIA-ADA members as they navigate the evolving landscape of intercollegiate athletics. This is also a tremendous opportunity to build on our strong foundation, as we continue to strengthen our profession, develop future leaders, and champion the values that make the NAIA unique."

Dr. Godding will transition to the role of Immediate Past President. Serving alongside Morgan will be: 1st Vice President Pete Dryer, director of athletics at Arizona Christian University from the Great Southwest Athletic Conference; 2nd Vice President Tony Hoops, vice president for athletics at Northwestern College from the Great Plains Athletic Conference; and 3rd Vice President Chris Kraftick, athletics director at the University of the Cumberlands from the Mid-South Conference.

 

The officers for the 2026-27 NAIA-ADA Board of Directors include: Maryann Mitts of Cottey College from the American Midwest Conference; Glen Crawford of Columbia College from the Appalachian Athletic Conference; Rob Harley of Simpson University from the California Pacific Conference; Corey Anderson of Bushnell University from the Cascade Collegiate Conference; Ian Potter of Georgia Gwinnett College from the Continental Athletic Conference; Chip Wilson of Mount Vernon Nazarene University from the Crossroads League; Matt Stepan of Montana Tech University from the Frontier Conference; Andy Bernatow of Mount Marty University from the Great Plains Athletic Conference; Charlie Averkamp of Benedictine University from the Great Southwest Athletic Conference; Brian Evans of Paul Quinn College from the Historically Black Colleges and Universities Athletic Conference; Troy Plummer of Grand View University from the Heart of America Athletic Conference; Shawn Summe of Avila University from the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference; Ron Pavan of Cumberland University from the Mid-South Conference; Kevin Lanke of Saint Mary of the Woods from the River States Conference; Chris Dooley of Brewton-Parker Christian University from the Southern States Athletic Conference; Drew Watson of Southeastern University from the Sun Conference; and Tiffani Selhorst of Defiance College from the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference.

Tyler Unsicker, Vice Chancellor for Intercollegiate Athletics at Louisiana State University Alexandria from the RRAC, is also a member of the 2026-27 Board of Directors. He is entering his fifth year with the Generals, and his teams have had much success, including appearances at nationals, regular-season titles, and postseason championships. In addition, Unsicker has guided LSUA to unprecedented heights in academics, competition, and fundraising.

Morgan's presidency marks only the second time a member of the Red River Athletic Conference has been elected as the leader of NAIA-ADA. In 2021-22, Ashley Walyuchow of the University of Houston-Victoria served as president. (Walyuchow is no longer associated with the newly renamed Texas A&M University-Victoria.)

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The NAIA-ADA is comprised of athletics administrators from the nearly 250 institutions representing 20 conferences competing in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). The NAIA-ADA is administered by NACDA, which is in its 62nd year. Visit www.nacda.com for more information and a list of the 19 professional associations that fall under its umbrella.