TEMPE, Ariz. (April 19) – Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Chief Operating Officer Erica Perkins Jasper has been named the new Director of Athletics, Recreation and Physical Education at Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, it was announced by Claremont McKenna College President Hiram E. Chodosh on Friday.
Jasper has served as the chief operating officer at college tennis’ governing body since 2015. She also spent nine seasons coaching at the NCAA Division I level that included head coaching tenures at Georgia Southern University (2002-04), Michigan State University (2006-08) and the University of New Mexico (2012-15), and as an assistant coach at College of William & Mary (2004-06).
Jasper will oversee the intercollegiate, club and recreational, and physical education programs of CMS Athletics that provides high-quality opportunities for students from the three CMS institutions (Claremont McKenna, Harvey Mudd, and Scripps Colleges).
“CMS student-athletes represent everything right about college athletics. They are high-achieving in the classroom and competitive on their respective fields of play,” Jasper said. “They have strong relationships with their peers and faculty, are leaders in campus organizations, and passionate about making an impact.”
In addition to her experience as a head coach and leadership role with the ITA, Jasper spent four years working for the United States Tennis Association’s (USTA) College Tennis Programming where she assumed the title of senior manager of junior and collegiate competition.
“Erica brings both exemplary experience and the strongest commitments to high academic achievement, athletic competition, superior coaching, and leadership development,” Chodosh said.
As the chief operating officer at the ITA, the official governing body of college tennis, Jasper oversees men’s and women’s tennis at all levels: NCAA Division I, Division II, and Division III, as well as NAIA, and junior colleges and community colleges. Working with 1,700 teams, she has formed close relationships with coaches, athletic directors, and student-athletes across the nation.
Harvey Mudd College President Maria Klawe said she was “particularly impressed with Erica’s background in leading complex organizations. We look forward to her joining us so that we can continue to improve our students’ experiences in athletics.”
Jasper, said Scripps College President Lara Tiedens, “brings tremendous experience as a leader, team builder, and competitor,” and praised “her understanding of the important role sports can play in enhancing a liberal arts education and her commitment to developing well-rounded student-athletes who will succeed on the field and in the classroom.”
Prior to joining the ITA in 2015, Jasper was the head women’s tennis coach at the University of New Mexico. She inherited a team that won only 17 matches in the prior three seasons and coached the Lobos to a Mountain West Conference title in her third year. Jasper’s teams also excelled in the classroom as the earned multiple academic awards.
Jasper was selected to lead CMS Athletics following a national search that included participation from coaches, CMS staff, faculty, students, and staff from all three institutions.
CMC Vice President for Student Affairs Sharon K. Basso, chaired the search committee, and said that out of the large pool of applicants, Jasper stood out because “she understands the powerful modality that college athletics provides for students to learn teamwork, leadership, perseverance, humility, and other critical skills for success in college and beyond.”
As a student-athlete, Jasper was team captain at Washington State University, where she was an Academic All-American and received the PAC-10 conference medal. She was the first WSU player to compete in the NCAA singles championship (three times), and also competed for the NCAA doubles championship.
Jasper was the first WSU player to play in four NCAA team championships. In 2015, she was the initial tennis player inducted to the WSU Hall of Fame. She graduated from WSU summa cum laude in history, with a minor in French, and holds a master’s degree in education from WSU.
Jasper will start on June 1. She replaces Terrance Tumey, who was named Director of Athletics at Fresno State University.
CMS Athletics fields 21 teams and finished third in the 2017-2018 Learfield Directors’ Cup NCAA Division III standings. CMS also oversees club, recreational, and physical education programs.
Members of the search committee were:
- Sharon Basso, Vice President for Student Affairs, CMC
- Steve Graves, Head Athletic Trainer
- Nikki Ayers, Assistant Athletic Director for Administration and Compliance
- Jennifer Clark, Head Coach Women’s Soccer
- Kyle Sweeney, Head Coach Football
- Dave Schwarz, Head Coach Women’s Tennis
- Sally Steffen, Title IX Coordinator, Scripps
- Anna Gonzalez, Vice President and Dean of Students, Harvey Mudd
- Omar Zazueta, Director of Admissions, CMC
- Dianna Graves, Assistant Vice President and Dean of Students, CMC
- Marcie Gardner, Deputy General Counsel, CMC
- Mary Hatcher-Skeers, Professor of Chemistry, Keck Science (representing Scripps faculty)
- James Eckert, Professor of Physics, Harvey Mudd
- Jonathan Petropolous, John V. Croul Professor of European History, CMC
- Max Kirsch, Men’s Basketball, CMC
- Amanda Walker, Women’s Volleyball, Scripps
- Arjun Natarajan, Men’s Track and Field, Harvey Mudd
- Peter Hong, Associate Vice President of Public Affairs and Communications, CMC
- Cynthia Keller, Asst. to the Vice President and Dean of Students, CMC
About the Intercollegiate Tennis Association
The Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) is committed to serving college tennis and returning the leaders of tomorrow. As the governing body of college tennis, the ITA oversees men’s and women’s varsity tennis at NCAA Divisions I, II and III, NAIA and Junior/Community College divisions. The ITA administers a comprehensive awards and rankings program for men’s and women’s varsity players, coaches and teams in all divisions, providing recognition for their accomplishments on and off the court. For more information on the ITA, visit the ITA website at www.itatennis.com, like the ITA on Facebook or follow @ITA_Tennis on Twitter and Instagram.
