Converse Names New Athletic Director
Converse College announces that Joy Couch will join the college as athletic director. Couch will begin duties part time later this month and full time in March.
“The Converse All-Stars athletic program is on the move,” said Converse President Betsy Fleming. “Joy brings an outstanding record and diverse experience that is well matched with Converse’s vision for growing our athletic program. As a member of the Division II Carolinas-Virginia Athletic Conference, Converse already competes at the highest NCAA level of any women’s college in the nation. We have made significant investments in our athletic program with the construction of outstanding facilities and our assembling a talented coaching staff. With Joy’s leadership, we look forward to our program advancing to the next level.”
Couch has 28 years of experience in physical education and coaching in Spartanburg County. Since 1998, she has served as physical education teacher, department chair and girls basketball coach at Dorman High School, where she led the Cavaliers to three AAAA state championship victories and won the regional championship every year. Her overall record at Dorman is 192-33. Prior to Dorman, Couch achieved impressive records as golf, volleyball and basketball coach at Chapman High School while teaching physical education at Inman Elementary. She has taught and coached at Broome High School and Byrnes High School and served as coordinator of women’s athletics and coach at Limestone College. Her overall high school basketball coaching record is 525-184.
Couch was selected to coach the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WCBA) – Nike High School All-American game in 2005. She has received numerous Coach of the Year awards including multiple honors as the Spartanburg Herald-Journal Coach of the Year. She has been named Girl’s Basketball AAAA and AAA State Coach of the Year, and received S.C. North/South All-Star Coach awards in both volleyball and basketball.
Couch received the Master of Education degree from the University of South Carolina and Bachelor of Science in health and physical education from Winthrop University.
“I am excited to accept the position as athletic director at Converse College,” said Couch. “I am impressed with the commitment of the administration at Converse, not only to the advancement of their athletic program but more importantly to the development of the complete student athlete. I want to thank the administration of Spartanburg County School District 6, the players I have had the good fortune to coach and their parents for their confidence and support during my years at Dorman. I am certain that the success we have experienced together at Dorman has opened this door of opportunity for me and for this I am deeply indebted. This is an exciting time in my life as I move forward to accept the challenges at Converse.”
“Converse is thrilled to hire a woman with such experience and a two-decade tradition of building excellent athletic programs,” said Molly Duesterhaus, dean of students. “Joy’s intelligence, determination and love for women’s athletics are just what Converse needs as we look to build our programs and set a course of action for future success.”
Converse fields teams in basketball, cross country, soccer, tennis and volleyball. An affiliate member of the Carolinas-Virginia Athletic Conference, Converse competes in NCAA Division II athletics – the highest level of any women’s college in the nation.