Athletics

It seems Darin Spease ’89, deputy athletics director for the Charlotte 49ers, was destined for a sports-focused life and career. Growing up, he played many different sports and knew he wanted to continue to be a player, in college and beyond, even if he wasn’t physically in the game. Now with 25-plus years in the field, no pun intended, he has made a career out of a passion.

Spease, who grew up in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, became a 49er to pursue an undergraduate education through the Belk College of Business. 

A school record three Charlotte 49ers were named preseason all-Conference USA by the league’s 14 head coaches. Sophomore kicker Jonathan Cruz was voted the league’s preseason Special Teams Player of the Year, and he, redshirt senior defensive end Alex Highsmith and senior running back Benny LeMay were named to the preseason all-Conference team. 
    

The Charlotte 49ers football team recently helped make a dream come true for a young football fan.

Robert Woodard is joining the Charlotte 49ers to lead the University’s baseball program. Woodard, a Charlotte native, spent the past three seasons as the pitching coach at UNC Chapel Hill. He also was pitching coach at UNCW and Virginia Tech. Woodard will replace Loren Hibbs, who announced his retirement after 27 years at the helm.

Tommy Langford is joining Charlotte 49ers football as nickelback coach. Langford comes to the 49ers from Christ School in Arden, North Carolina, where he led the Greenies to the 2018 NCISAA Division I state championship game.

Shayna Stahl, who is finalizing a Doctor of Musical Arts/Instrumental Conducting at the University of Washington, will join UNC Charlotte as associate director of bands/director of athletic bands, effective July 1. She will oversee the Pride of Niner Nation Marching Band.

At the University of Washington (UW), Stahl served as graduate assistant director of the Husky Marching Band, director of the Husky Basketball Band, conductor for the UW Concert Band and assistant conductor for the UW Wind Ensemble.

Former N.C. State Associate Head Coach Nikki West has joined the Charlotte 49ers women’s basketball team. West, who was with the Wolfpack for five years, has worked at UT Chattanooga and USC Upstate and has been a part of eight NCAA Tournament teams.

Loren Hibbs, who has been with the Charlotte 49ers for 27 years, retired as head baseball coach, Director of Athletics Mike Hill announced June 14. Hibbs will join his alma mater, Wichita State, as assistant athletics director for baseball operations and player development. He will reunite with one of his former players and former major leaguer Eric Wedge, who was named head coach of the Shockers.

Ragean Hill is the Charlotte 49ers executive associate athletics director. She is coming to the University from Old Dominion University, where she served as the associate athletics director for the past four years. She also has worked at Arkansas, Kansas State and Wisconsin.

Charlotte 49ers senior first baseman Meredith Harris was named to the 2019 Google Cloud Academic All-America Division I Softball Second Team, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America.

The Google Cloud Academic All-America Softball Team celebrates the nation’s top players for their efforts on the field and in the classroom.