Celebrating 50 years of continued success, the United States Sports Academy (USSA) has enjoyed a thorough and consistent history of creatively adapting to market needs through program growth and development as well as establishing themselves as a frontrunner in the successful delivery of online programs. Starting as a Masters’ degree serving institution, USSA has since expanded into both doctoral and undergraduate programs with the undergraduate enrollment in the most recent class surpassing that of the graduate programs.

 

Through strategic and prudent financial management, USSA is in an exceptionally strong position. The Academy is SACSCOC accredited as well as ACBSP (Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs) and NCACE (National Committee for the Accreditation of Coaching Education). Additional recognition includes the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) Education Recognition Program (ERP).

 

This is a unique and exciting opportunity for a forward thinking, results focused leader to become the next President and CEO of the United States Sports Academy (USSA). The President and CEO is the primary representative for the USSA to all peer organizations, both national and international, regarding academic online education and as a leader in sports education. The successful candidate will understand the regulatory and learning environment that online education necessitates, as well as bring a savvy business acumen to the scope of USSA’s mission. Throughout the years, the Academy has provided a variety of awards. Recipients have ranged from Olympic athletes Michael Phelps and Simone Biles, to professional athletes such as Tom Brady and world leaders such as Sir Craig Reedie, President of the World Anti-Doping Agency and Gian-Franco Kasper, President of the International Ski Federation to name a very few.

 

The United States Sports Academy is an independent, non-profit, accredited, special mission sports university created to serve the nation and the world with programs in instruction, research, and service. The role of the Academy is to prepare men and women for careers in the profession of sports.

 

The President’s duties include administrative oversight, general supervision, direction, planning activities and legal affairs of the Academy. The President ensures that the academic programs are effectively marketed to prospective students and international clients while meeting accreditation and regulatory requirements. Additionally, the President ensures endowments and financial affairs are managed soundly and in accordance with good practices. The President implements programs and policies as required by the governance activities of the Academy’s Board of Trustees.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The foregoing succinctly sums up the United States Sports Academy, known around the world as “America’s Sports University.” The Academy is a highly focused, special-mission institution that serves as the only free-standing, accredited sports university in the United States. The term “university” is apt insofar as the institution offers degrees at the doctoral, master’s, and bachelor's degree levels as well as a wide array of post-secondary, non-degree programs offered through its Center for Professional Studies and Continuing Education in sport-related disciplines.

 

The Academy is celebrating its 50th anniversary having been founded in 1972 as a master’s degree granting institution in response to two seminal events in the sport industry. The first of these was a landmark study that established a correlation between injuries to athletes and the professional preparation of their coaches. The second was extraordinarily poor showing of the United States at the Munich Olympic Games in 1972. The founders of the institution realized the answer to addressing these problems lies in education. The Academy has always had an international orientation as evidenced by the signing of its first international sport education and service contract with Bahrain in 1976. Since then, the Academy has delivered programs in more than 67 countries around the world.

 

The Academy still has a very vigorous international outreach for sport programs around the world. In 1996, the Academy’s Ed.D. in Sports Management was accredited by SACSCOC that concurrently saw its distance learning programs reviewed and approved. The addition of a Bachelor’s of Sports Science degree came in 2004 although it was initially accredited as an upper-division program. The Academy finally added the lower-division and general education core component to its B.S.S. degree offerings admitting its first freshman to study in 2021, 49 years after it was founded. Though the Academy has begun admitting first-time freshmen to study at the institution, the vast majority of its students can be characterized as non-traditional adult learners.

 

Over the years, the Academy gradually shifted away from a primarily residential based educational program to online distance education. Step-by-step, the Academy evolved such that all its academic offerings could be satisfied entirely through distance education. At present, 100% of the Academy’s student body utilize this mode of delivery. So adept was the Academy embracing new technologies, it was selected to participate in the US Department of Education distance learning demonstration project at the turn of the century. The Academy has also long recognized that sport and art are inextricably intertwined and so hosts the American Sport Art Museum and Archives (ASAMA). The Academy’s collection of sport art has grown from humble beginnings in 1984 to what is thought to be the largest in the United States with more than 1,700 pieces in all media with an aggregate value in excess of $12 million.

 

The Academy supports this effort though an annual program entitled, “The Academy’s Awards of Sport: A Tribute to the Artist and the Athlete,” that recognizes outstanding sport performers as well as outstanding sport artists. Though the institution is comparatively small as befitting a special mission institution, it does enjoy a worldwide reputation. It is also unique insofar as it operates from a sound financial base with no debt in its capital structure. Having graduated over 5,300 students with sport specific degrees and countless thousands of others with non-degree credentials, the Academy looks forward to its next 50 years.

 

 

 

 

The Academy’s sports management bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degree programs are accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP), an accrediting body that focuses on business education. The organization accredits educational programs around the world that focus on teaching excellence in business.

 

 

Working under the auspices of the United States Center for Coaching Excellence (USCCE), National Committee for the Accreditation of Coaching Education (NCACE) accreditation signifies that the Academy’s coaching bachelor’s degree program is aligned with the National Standards for Sport Coaches (NASPE, 2006) and the NCACE Guidelines for program supervision, personnel, and operations.

 

 

The Academy is on the list of institutions recognized as an approved education provider by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA)in their Education Recognition Program (ERP). Students who complete this degree will be prepared to take national certification exams, such as the one offered by the NSCA, which are critical to advancement in the profession.

 

 

The Academy campus is located on the Eastern Shore of Alabama’s beautiful Mobile Bay that is home to several unique cities tucked away in one of the fastest growing metropolitan areas in the United States. Over the last decade, Baldwin County welcomed 49,502 new residents – amounting to a 27 percent population increase in 10 years. Ranked in the top 11 fastest growing in the state over the last decade, the Eastern Shore cities of Spanish Fort (2), Daphne (11), and Fairhope (4) are vibrant yet infused with Southern charm. With some of the best public and private primary and secondary schools in the state, the area ranked second in the state for home value growth according to the Baldwin County Economic Development Alliance.

 

The Eastern Shore is a sports person’s paradise of year-round golfing, boating, and fishing. The cities of Fairhope, Daphne, and Spanish Fort and the community of Point Clear are lined with nature trails, downtown shops and boutiques, coffee shops, bakeries, and an ample selection of local restaurants to satisfy any culinary taste. Residents can see a golden sunset from one of the many local piers overlooking the bay and find inspiration in a local art gallery. Patrons of the arts can catch one of Eastern Shore’s multiple arts festivals each year – including the world-famous Fairhope Arts and Crafts Festival and the Jubilee Festival of Arts in downtown Daphne. In February and March, residents can catch a “throw” during one of the many Mardi Gras parades running in Daphne, Fairhope, and Point Clear or attend one of the Mardi Gras balls hosted by a mystic society. History buffs will love a visit to Spanish Fort’s Blakeley State Park, the site of Alabama’s largest Civil War battle. The park is also the site of Native American settlements dating back thousands of years. For outdoor lovers, the 5 Rivers Delta Resource Center is home to a Delta Safari boat tour where you’ll see alligators, various sea birds, foxes, and more.

 

 

 

 

Please do not email applications.

 

Applications will be reviewed as they are received and should include a cover letter and curriculum vita. All applications are treated confidentially.

 

Inquiries, referrals, and nominations are treated confidentially:

 

Inquiries and questions: Please send to ussapresident@acesrch.com

Nominations and referrals: Please send to nominations@acesrch.com