New director of athletics named
Andrea Ricketts-Preston has been named Mount Holyoke College’s director of athletics and chair of physical education.
Mount Holyoke College has announced the appointment of Andrea Ricketts-Preston as its director of athletics and chair of physical education. Ricketts-Preston previously served as the senior associate director of athletics at Goucher College in Towson, Maryland.
Ricketts-Preston brings over 15 years of experience in coaching, administration, NCAA compliance and equity and inclusion. She will begin her duties remotely on February 1, 2024, and will transition to being on campus full time in May.
“I’m honored and humbled to be selected as the next director of athletics and chair of physical education at Mount Holyoke College,” said Ricketts-Preston. “I look forward to working with the athletic department’s team of coaches and the Division of Student Life to build a strong foundation of success and support for our student-athletes as they challenge themselves to excel academically, athletically and personally.”
She said, “I would like to thank President Holley, Dean Runell and the members of the search committee for their belief and confidence in me as we work together to reach new heights for Mount Holyoke athletics.”
Ricketts-Preston joined Goucher College in 2017 as the women’s basketball coach. She was then promoted to senior woman administrator and associate director of athletics in 2019.
At Goucher, Ricketts-Preston managed NCAA compliance and held sport supervision responsibilities for select sports. Ricketts-Preston assessed and evaluated gender and diversity, equity and inclusion issues. Additionally, she oversaw the Goucher’s indoor athletics facilities.
Before joining Goucher, Ricketts-Preston was an assistant coach at Capital University in Columbus, Ohio. Prior to that, she served as the head women’s basketball coach at both Clarkson University and Hiram College.
“We are so delighted to welcome Andrea to Mount Holyoke College,” said Marcella Runell, vice president of Student Life and dean of students. “After conducting a national search with an incredible search committee and working with multiple stakeholders across campus, we are confident that Andrea will be a stellar leader for athletics and physical education.”
In 2023 Ricketts-Preston began a four-year term on the NCAA Division III Interpretations and Legislation Committee. The committee reviews requests from the membership, issues official interpretation and recommends legislative changes to the Division III Management Council.
She is a member of the WeCOACH and Women Leaders in College Sports organizations. Ricketts-Preston earned her degree in health and physical education from Luther College and later pursued a master’s degree in exercise and sports science with a concentration in sports administration from the University of Wisconsin-Lacrosse.
