COLCHESTER, VT - Long-time Saint Michael's College Director of Athletics Chris Kenny '86 M'98 will step down from his position at the end of June to become the College's Executive Director of Stewardship & Leadership Giving. Kenny has served the Purple Knight Department of Athletics in various roles for 37 years, the last nine as Director. President Richard Plumb, PhD, announced that current Associate Director of Athletics Matt Akins will succeed Kenny as Director of Athletics on July 1.
 
"My long career with Purple Knight Athletics has been immensely rewarding, and working with our student-athletes, coaches, staff and campus colleagues has substantially enriched my life," said Kenny. "I am so grateful for having had the opportunity to serve our College as Director of Athletics - it's been the honor of a lifetime, and I'm very proud of the many improvements, advancements, and accomplishments we have achieved in my nine years in this role."
 
Kenny began his duties as Director of Athletics on July 1, 2015, following a nationwide search. He has overseen a significant period of growth for Saint Michael's Athletics. Twenty of the 21 varsity programs are now led by full-time head coaches, more than double the number in 2015, and additional staff supports areas such as strength & conditioning, sports medicine and athletic communications. An enhanced scholarship model has contributed to additional athletic success and expanded rosters, and substantial improvements have been made to the Doc Jacobs Field Complex, with comprehensive renovation projects reaching the midway point for the Ross Sports Center, Tarrant Recreation Center and Kelley Ski Center.
 
Kenny leaves the department on an upward trajectory. Men's basketball won the Northeast-10 Conference regular-season title and returned to the NCAA Tournament this winter while hosting its first regional championship in 64 years, and Purple Knight student-athletes combined for 31 individual NCAA Championship qualifications during Kenny's nine years at the helm of the department. The College tied for first in NCAA Division II Academic Success Rate (ASR) each of the last three years while placing top three with four first-place showings during Kenny's tenure. Saint Michael's has finished top two in the NE10 every year since 2007.
 
Kenny previously served the College as Senior Associate Director of Athletics (2014-15), Assistant/Associate Director of Athletics (1997-2014), Director of Athletic External Affairs (1995-97) and Sports Information Director (1987-95), building relationships for nearly 40 years through such responsibilities as NCAA compliance, marketing, development, and sport administration. His new role across campus will rely heavily upon his deep institutional knowledge and experience. Kenny is a product of Saint Michael's, earning a bachelor of arts degree in journalism in 1986, and a master of science degree in administration and management at the College in 1998. Eldest daughter Jillian followed in his footsteps as a member of the Class of 2018.
 
A well-known face around campus, Kenny navigated the Department of Athletics through challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, serving as chair of the NE10's Athletics Council and Executive Committee during the 2020-21 school year. Since President Plumb's arrival at the College in January 2024, Kenny has been a member of the President's Cabinet. He has also served on several NE10 committees, including the league's Hall of Fame Committee and Steering Committee for the NE10's transformative branding project with SME. A former member of the NCAA Division II Men's Soccer Committee and various regional advisory committees, he is a current member of the NCAA Regional Postgraduate Scholarship Committee. Kenny also serves on the Board of Directors for the Vermont Sports Hall of Fame and the C. Douglas Cairns Arena.
 
Akins will become only the fifth Director of Athletics at Saint Michael's since just after the end of World War II, joining George "Doc" Jacobs (1947-68), Edward P. Markey '51 (1968-97), Geri Knortz (1997-2015) and Kenny (2015-24). He has nearly completed his third year as an Associate Director of Athletics after holding the same position at The College of Saint Rose for four years. During his time at Saint Michael's, Akins has been responsible primarily for NCAA compliance and sport supervision.
 
"I am honored and humbled to be selected as the next leader for the Saint Michael's Athletic Department," said Akins. "I am grateful to President Plumb for believing in me and entrusting me with this opportunity. Saint Michael's is a special place with extraordinary faculty, staff, students and alumni. It has been a privilege to work alongside Chris Kenny and Associate Director of Athletics Meggan Dulude '07 for the past three years. I am truly happy for Chris as he starts this new career journey serving our College in an Advancement role. I'm excited to embrace this new challenge as we all continue to work together to support the College and enhance the student-athlete experience at Saint Michael's."
 
Akins represents the College on the NE10 Sport Administration Council and the NCAA Division II National Baseball Committee, and served as director of the 2024 NCAA Division II East Regional Men's Basketball Championship. During his stint at Saint Rose, he oversaw compliance and the athletic department budget in addition to staff and coaching supervisory responsibilities. Akins was involved with countless committees, including the Golden Knights Golf Outing Committee, Life Skills Programming Committee, AOD Programming Committee, Golden Knights Club Committee, College Compliance Committee and Athletics Recruitment Committee.
 
Between 2007 and 2017, Akins worked at Barton College in Wilson, N.C., serving as the men's soccer head coach while also gaining experience in athletic administration. Off the pitch, he initially served as Athletic Admissions Coordinator, operating as a liaison between the Office of Admissions, Financial Aid, Athletics and prospective student-athletes. He later served as the Assistant Athletic Director and Compliance Coordinator between January 2015 and his departure. In 10 seasons leading the men's soccer team, Akins turned the Bulldogs into a consistent contender, highlighted by their first NCAA Tournament bid in 2014. They went 41-31-3 overall and 25-14 in Conference Carolinas play between the 2011 and 2014 seasons, reaching the league final in 2012.
 
Akins served on numerous committees while at Barton, including the United Soccer Coaches Southeast Regional Rankings Committee while working as a site representative for the first and second rounds of the 2015 and 2016 NCAA soccer tournaments. He was also involved as a member of the Student Conduct Board, Strategic Planning Committee and Professional Development Committee at the college. Locally, Akins was on the Wilson Chamber of Commerce - Beyond 21 Leadership Team, served as North Carolina Olympic Development Program soccer head coach for nearly eight years, and was the director of coaching and a board member with the Wilson Youth Soccer Association for almost seven years.
 
Prior to his time in North Carolina, Akins spent two years at Lincoln Memorial University in Harrogate, Tenn., assisting the men's and women's soccer teams while teaching kinesiology as an adjunct professor. The Railsplitter men were a combined 30-5-4 between the 2005 and 2006 seasons, advancing to the NCAA Division II Final Four his second fall. The women were 16-3-1 overall and 9-1 in the Gulf South Conference in 2005, winning the league tournament and qualifying for the NCAA Tournament. Between Akins' four seasons as an assistant coach, Lincoln Memorial's teams were 55-14-6.
 
Akins' familiarity with the NE10 dates back to his undergraduate years, as he completed his degree in psychology at former league member Le Moyne College in 2002 before earning a master's degree in sports management at the University of Kentucky in 2004. During a dual-sport career at Le Moyne, he played one season with the Dolphins' Division I baseball program and four with the men's soccer team. Akins' brothers Andrew '06 and Dean '11 both played soccer at Saint Michael's.
 
Founded in 1904, Saint Michael's College delivers a compelling, world-class liberal arts education in a beautiful Vermont setting. As a fully residential college located minutes from Burlington, one of the country's top-rated college towns, Saint Michael's offers an unparalleled mix of academic, spiritual, cultural, service and wilderness experiences. With an enrollment of 1,400 undergraduate students, the College fields 21 varsity athletic programs that compete at the NCAA Division II level. Eighteen teams participate in the Northeast-10 Conference, one of the most competitive leagues in NCAA Division II, whose 11 members are spread from Saint Michael's to Long Island.