W. Bart Bellairs named director of
Intercollegiate Athletics at Savannah State

May 20, 2008
SAVANNAH— Claud Flythe, D.A., vice president for Administration at Savannah State University (SSU), today named W. Bart Bellairs as the director of Intercollegiate Athletics effective June 1, 2008.

Bellairs comes to Savannah State from Virginia Military Institute (VMI) in Lexington, Va., where he is the senior associate athletic director, a position he has held for three years. He also works for ESPN as a color commentator for NCAA basketball.

“I am inspired by Mr. Bellairs’ vision of how an intercollegiate athletic program should operate,” said Flythe. “He understands that today’s AD must be adept at fundraising, marketing and public relations, and he has a strong background in generating revenue, which is critical for the health of our program.”

As athletic director, Bellairs will be responsible for all matters related to managing SSU’s 15 intercollegiate sport teams for men and women. This includes directing and administering athletic programs and budgets; overseeing compliance with all NCAA rules and regulations, Board of Regents’ policies and university policies and procedures; and fundraising for programmatic needs.

At VMI, Bellairs was instrumental in tripling revenue totals for the first two years as senior associate athletic director. He worked with the VMI Keydet Club, an alumni athletic donor organization, which raised over $3 million in a single year to support both scholarships and the operating budget. Bellairs was head men’s basketball coach at VMI from 1993 to 2005. During that period, he was named Southern Conference Coach of the Year, Virginia Coach of the Year and Sports Illustrated Unknown Coach of the Year.

A native of Richmond, Ky., Bellairs earned his undergraduate degree in sociology/social work at Warren Wilson College in Swannanoa, N.C., where he was a letterman in both basketball and baseball. He earned his master’s degree in physical education and athletic administration at Western Illinois University in Macomb, Ill.

“Becoming the AD at Savannah State is a great leadership opportunity with a program that has incredible potential,” said Bellairs. “I’ve seen the blueprint President Yarbrough left at Virginia State, and I am excited that I’ll have the chance to work with him, Dr. Flythe, the coaches, student athletes, alumni and so many others to craft a new legacy for athletics at Savannah State.”

Savannah State University competes at the NCAA Division I level in all sports and the Division I Championship Subdivision in football.