SPRINGFIELD, Ohio - The 2003-04 school year is just around the corner, and the Wittenberg University athletic department is now at full staff and ready for another successful season. Two new head coaches, four new assistant coaches, a new assistant athletic trainer and several new assignments within the department are among the changes.

As previously announced in two separate releases, Paco Labrador has replaced Connie Surowicz on the volleyball sidelines, and Katherine Haney is now in the women's lacrosse hot seat, replacing Nancy Beck. On Aug. 1, both officially started their new duties, which include some game management responsibilities for Labrador and assistant field hockey coach for Haney. For more details on their hirings, log on to http://www.wittenberg.edu or contact the Office of University Communications to get a copy of the news releases.

Two other individuals are joining the staff on a full-time basis. Shannon Keller is the new assistant volleyball and women's basketball coach. She comes to Wittenberg from Pennsylvania State University at Erie Behrend College, also an NCAA Division III institution, where she was an assistant women's basketball coach there for three years and received a master's of business administration in May 2003. Also the assistant intramurals director at Penn State Behrend, Keller helped the women's basketball program earn the 2003 Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference regular season championship. A 2000 graduate of Allegheny College and four-year starter for Gator women's basketball team, Keller is a native of Massillon, Ohio. Her sister, Tiffany, graduated from Wittenberg last spring after earning eight letters in volleyball and women's basketball.

The other new face working full-time in the department is assistant athletic trainer Kathy Williams. Williams was most recently at Penn State Behrend as an assistant athletic trainer from 2001-03. A 1999 graduate of Mercyhurst College in Erie, Pa., Williams holds a master's in student personnel services counseling from Edinboro University in Pennsylvania. She has been certified by the National Athletic Trainers' Association and the American Red Cross as a first aid & CPR instructor. In addition, Williams is a certified strength and conditioning specialist.

Keller replaces Jen Parsons, who left in the spring to take the assistant volleyball coach position at Ashland University, while Williams takes over for Wendy Somers, who held the assistant trainer position one year before moving on to earn her graduate degree.

Three other new assistant coaches will be working on a part-time basis with their respective programs. Dennis Robinson has been hired as an assistant coach with the men's and women's indoor and outdoor track and field programs. Robinson, who also coaches track and field at Meadowdale High School in Dayton, is replacing Craig Wallace, who worked with the Tigers the last two years before retiring from coaching. Rob Linkhart, a Wittenberg alumnus, is the new running backs coach for the football team and working as a volunteer assistant the last two years. Linkhart replaces Larry Baldridge, who has retired from football coaching and is now working part-time as Wittenberg athletic equipment manager. Rounding things out is Wittenberg alumnus Kris Hazard, who is taking over for newly retired Chuck Nickoson as assisted men's soccer coach.

Within the Department of Athletics and Recreation, several individuals have new assignments. Kelly Cummings, the football team's defensive coordinator and assistant men's lacrosse coach the last three years, has dropped the men's lacrosse duties and picked up the title of strength and conditioning coordinator in charge of the fitness room. Jay Lewis, a 1994 Wittenberg graduate and the baseball team's head coach for nearly a decade, is Wittenberg's new compliance coordinator. Norm Riker, the head women's soccer coach, has added assistant men's lacrosse coach to his duties after serving as assistant women's lacrosse coach a year ago. In addition, Becky Hall, head softball coach and assistant field hockey coach the last three years, has dropped the latter duties and added director of intramurals and recreation to her title.