Derrick Tinsley of Mobile, Alabama, recently earned the bachelor of sports science degree in sports coaching from the United States Sports Academy and was named assistant basketball coach by Spring Hill College. He comes to the job following five years’ coaching for Bishop State Community College.

Tinsley will assist head coach Robert Thompson with recruiting, with academic development of student-athletes, with strength training and conditioning, and other aspects of coaching, with a concentration on defense.

Tinsley has begun studies for the master’s degree in sports management at the Academy.

Mike Brass is in his sixth season as an Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Performance at the Naval Academy. Brass comes to Navy from Georgia Southern where he held the same position for three years.

While Georgia Southern football returned to the top perch of NCAA I-AA football during the last five years, many people around the program, including head coach Paul Johnson, credited Brass as one of the primary reasons for the success. Among his peers, he was named as the 1998 and '99 National Strength and Conditioning Association's (NSCA) Professional-of-the-Year for the Southern Conference. The award recognizes coaches who have demonstrated excellence in their respective strength and conditioning programs.

This month, Joe Underwood will depart for Tokyo as a participant in the Japan Fulbright Memorial Fund (JFMF) Teacher Program. Dr. Underwood, a 1987 graduate from the United States Sports Academy (MSS), teaches Television Production, MovieMaking, and Entertainment Law at Miami High School in Miami, FL, where he has taught since 1984.

Underwood is a Certified Athletic Trainer, as well as an active football official for over 20 years. Underwood was selected from a national pool of over 1,700 applicants by a panel of educators to earn this honor. This program allows distinguished primary and secondary school educators in the U.S. to travel to Japan for three weeks in an effort to promote greater intercultural understanding between the two nations.

Jim McCrossin has reached the professional ranks; he is a Certified Athletic Trainer, Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, a member of the National Athletic Trainers Association, a member of the National Strength and Conditioning Association and a member of the American Academy of Sports Medicine. Yet the Philadelphia Flyer’s Strength and Conditioning Coach and Athletic Trainer is not content with what he has accomplished. McCrossin is currently four courses shy of earning his MSS in Sports Medicine at the Academy; he wants to earn his Ed.D once that is finished. He would like to give back to the field of sport when he has finished his professional career.

Dr. Alan Geist became the Associate Athletic Director at Cedarville University in December of 2006. As the Associate Athletic Director, he serves as the Eligibility Chairman, deals with minor budget and financial aid management and participates in other administrative tasks assigned by the Athletic Director. Dr. Geist also serves as Program Coordinator and as Assistant Professor for the Cedarville University Sport Management Program.He earned his B.A. in English Education from Cedarville College (1983), his Master of Sports Science in Sport Management from the United States Sports Academy (1989), and his Ph.D. in Sport Management from The Ohio State University (2001).

Brian Johnston is entering his first year as Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Medicine after serving three years as Director of Athletic Medicine and three years as the Assistant Athletic Trainer for ETSU. As a former graduate of the NATA approved Athletic Training Curriculum, he has been associated with East Tennessee State University for over 10 years.

After graduating from ETSU in 1998, Johnston worked with Southeastern Sports Medicine in Asheville, NC and at Greenwood High School, where he taught Anatomy and Physiology and oversaw the schools athletic training needs.

Individual accomplishments in archery as a 1999 World team champion, National Champion (1997), World record holder, National record holder, and International Champion (1993) have led Mark Penaz to a successful teaching and coaching career. By Penaz’s own admission, he had no formal program to assist him with training, and much of his success came through trial and error.

Following a national search, United States Sports Academy Alum China Leigh Jude has been named Athletic Director at Cheyney University of Pennsylvania.

“We are very excited to have China Leigh Jude on staff at Cheyney University,” said Cheyney President Dr. Michelle Howard-Vital. “She brings a great energy to the athletic department and will help to restore faith in the program.” Cheyney University is the nation’s oldest historically Black institution of higher education, and the only Historically Black College and University (HBCU) in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education.