May 17, 2010
Contact:
Charles Taylor, 404-413-4031
GSU Sports Communications
ATLANTA - Georgia State University's Athletic Association Board of Trustees has named Gregory R. Crochet as the new chairman of the board for a two-year term through 2012. He replaces outgoing Chair Rankin M. Cooter, who chaired his final two-year term Board meeting on May 13.
"We are delighted Mr. Crochet has accepted our offer to lead us through the inaugural football season and continued growth of all our athletic programs," Director of Athletics Cheryl L. Levick said. "He has been a board member for eight years and certainly understands our strategic plan and financial needs."
Levick also praised Cooter for his leadership of the board.
"As Chair of the GSUAA, we thank Rankin Cooter for his leadership and dedication to Panther Athletics over the past two years," Levick said. "Mr. Cooter will remain on the board and be an active participant in our continued growth in athletics."
Crochet, a partner in the Atlanta office of the national law firm of Kutak Rock, LLP, earned his undergraduate degree in business from Georgia State in 1979 and his law degree from the University of Georgia in 1983. •His law practice focuses on commercial and dispute resolution, particularly in the areas of banking, financial, securities, real estate related and employment disputes.
Crochet was a student-athlete while at Georgia State as a member of the tennis team.
"Being a former student-athlete and having been on the board, I am thrilled at how much Georgia State athletics has grown over the years," Crochet said. "I am honored to serve as chair and I look forward to taking on the challenges in probably the most exciting time in the history of Georgia State athletics."
Cooter will maintain his hands-on involvement with Georgia State that began in 1973 and saw him serve as Director of Athletics, as coordinator of the master's degree program in Sports Administration, as the first women's basketball coach and as a full professor for 33 years.
The Board of Trustees provides advisory leadership and consultation for the Georgia State Athletics program. It assists with fundraising projects, while aiding in strategic and long-range plans. The Board can also serve as an advocate for the business community and the state legislature.
Georgia State is the second largest university in the state with its 30,000 students and is a member of the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA). The Athletic Department sponsors 17 sports, looking to add one or two more women's teams to balance the addition of the football team that will play its first game on Sept. 2, 2010 at the Georgia Dome.