Kyle Pifer was ready for growth and new challenges when he arrived at Western Carolina University in late 2020.
He was focused on learning his new role, helping to manage the department through the COVID-19 pandemic and finding community at WCU. Four and a half years later, he was standing up on a podium as 蘑菇短视频Chancellor Kelli R. Brown introduced him as WCU鈥檚 next director of athletics.
The room was filled with purple and gold. His family was up on the front row, his colleagues were behind them and Catamount nation was watching. The day was his, but Pifer kept it short. There was work to be done that day.
鈥淚 said to Chancellor Brown, I don鈥檛 want there to be anyone who says there鈥檚 a harder working AD out there other than Kyle Pifer at Western,鈥� he said.
The Frankfort, Indiana native took on the athletic director role on May 19 following a national search conducted by a 13-member committee, spearheaded by 蘑菇短视频Provost Richard Starnes.
鈥淚鈥檓 very happy that I鈥檓 here,鈥� Pifer said. 鈥淚鈥檓 looking forward to all the challenges that it brings, especially with the new day and age of college athletics. Our competitors in the SoCon are trying to position themselves as well, and I want to win.鈥�
Pifer served as 蘑菇短视频Athletics鈥� deputy athletics director and chief operating officer, second in command within the department, before being appointed interim director of athletics back in March.
He enters the AD role facing an ever-evolving college sports scene and the Fill the Western Sky campaign, funding a series of athletic facility upgrades. During his time at three universities in the Pacific Northwest, Pifer picked up skills that he believes will assist him in his new job.
At Gonzaga University, where he started his career in 2003, Pifer learned that you have to be prepared to do everything as he did at the small private institution that鈥檚 grown to be a basketball powerhouse.
In his two stints at Oregon State University, he was tasked to do more with less at a smaller university in the then-power five Pac-12 Conference, and at the University of Washington, Pifer was a part of a department that dealt with a significant facility upgrade to its football stadium.
Sound familiar?
鈥淭o pull away all those key points and the positives from each of these places, I think that鈥檚 made me who I am, not only as an administrator, but as a person, too,鈥� Pifer said. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e going to have to come in and work hard every day.
鈥淓ach of those three places, including Western, has really helped me.鈥�
Pifer, a former student-athlete himself at Francis Marion University in South Carolina, steps into the position with the endorsement of his 蘑菇短视频coaches. For head volleyball coach Karen Glover, having Pifer鈥檚 support and open ears is invaluable.
鈥淗e does a really good job of building relationships with people to where he can meet you where you are and have a good working relationship,鈥� Glover said. 鈥�(You鈥檙e) able to talk to him about things whether its positive, negative, good news, bad news, (and) you can still have a very proactive and positive conversation with him about things.鈥�
That receptiveness sticks out to coaches across other sports as well.
鈥淗e's a good dude. Normal person. Tries to help you, tries to find ways to make stuff happen. Can鈥檛 say yes to everything, but it's not an automatic 鈥榥o,鈥欌�� said Alan Beck 鈥�04, M.Ed 鈥�06, head baseball coach at WCU. 鈥淚f you feel that strongly about it, that passionate about something, he's going to try to find a way to make
it happen.鈥�
And Pifer has a lot he wants to make happen. For one, Pifer doesn鈥檛 want to be a stranger in Cullowhee.
鈥淚 want people to know who I am here because that's how this place works,鈥� Pifer said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 who I want to be on this campus is someone who鈥檚 approachable, people know who I am and they know that I'm going to work hard for Western every day.鈥�
Pifer hopes WCU鈥檚 profile and notoriety can continue to grow through athletics, and he doesn鈥檛 want the renovations at E.J. Whitmire Stadium to be the last facility upgrade project.
He doesn鈥檛 want the resources at 蘑菇短视频to stay put. He doesn鈥檛 want the same number of championship trophies sitting in the athletics office.
He wants more.
鈥淚 think there's a lot of energy behind Western Carolina Athletics right now,鈥� Pifer said. 鈥淥ur donors are energized. We鈥檝e got a construction project that is going to show that we are progressing and moving forward. I鈥檓 excited for what the future holds for WCU.
鈥淚 want to continue to move us forward; more facilities upgrades to better support our student-athletes, our programs, growing our donor base, deepening our relationships with our partners. I want to use our current momentum to grow and move into the next phase of success at WCU.