Fort Lewis College hired one of its own as the new director of athletics.
Former FLC men’s basketball standout Barney Hinkle will replace Gary Hunter as the leader of the Skyhawks athletics department. Hunter announced his resignation May 12, and Hinkle will take over the position effective Sept. 1.
“Without any doubts, I can’t tell you how excited I am to have accepted this position to be back at Fort Lewis College,” Hinkle said in a phone interview with The Durango Herald. “I’m excited to get some lines of communication open within the campus and get up to speed on everything that’s been going on. I feel like I can give the help that the school needs, but I’m also here to learn from the many talented and capable individuals who are here right now and begin working with them.”
Hinkle received a business administration degree in 1982, and he has remained close to his alma mater. The basketball standout was inducted into the Fort Lewis College Hall of Fame in 1996 and named to the school’s All-Century team. Hinkle held the all-time school record for points scored with 1,522 points until Steve Schutz broke the 15-year-old mark in 1997. He is also a member of the Fort Lewis College Foundation.
Since leaving Durango, Hinkle put together an impressive résumé in the world of sports and entertainment marketing. He spent 22 years in marketing with Anheuser-Busch and worked with MLB, NBA, NCAA, NFL and Olympic sponsors. He also spent time in marketing with the PGA Tour and has similar experience in the music industry.
“There has been an ongoing trend that we’re seeing nationally for universities to hire somewhat nontraditional athletic directors with business experience,” Dene Thomas, FLC president, said in an interview with the Herald. “We have a strong need for corporate sponsorships, business relations and fundraising, so we decided to go in a direction Fort Lewis hasn’t gone in before. It just so happens that Barney has all of these qualities and sits in the school’s record books. It’s a wonderful fit.”
Hinkle said his versatility in marketing and the contacts he has made with Fort Lewis alumni along with business contacts around the nation can provide a much-needed boost to FLC athletics.
“One of the things I have to do is not only re-engage the school with the local community, but also the region and even beyond Southwest Colorado,” Hinkle said. “After 25 years in the sports and entertainment industry, I have had the honor of earning a lot of friendships and built relationships that I should be able to tap into. I would like to specifically focus on the contacts I have who are 10 to 15 years older and 10 to 15 years younger than I am. I know many people who have reached the stage in their lives that allow them to affect change, and I want to reach them. I also want to get to know every coach and every player so we can forge bonds that need to be made in order for all of us to succeed.”
Hinkle said he needed to reacquaint himself with the college before outlining specific steps that need to be taken to improve any programs or facilities.
Former FLC compliance officer Lynne Andrew was promoted to senior associate director of athletics. Andrew, who is also the senior woman administrator, has been with the FLC athletics department for nine years. Andrew also had been considered for the athletic director position.
jfries@durangoherald.com
