The Dartmouth athletic department announced Friday that Sam Hopkins, a member of the athletic marketing office at Brown University, will be joining Dartmouth as assistant director of athletics for marketing and promotions. Hopkins will replace Trevor Carlson in overseeing the promotion of athletic events, the securing of corporate sponsorships and the expansion of the Dartmouth athletics fan base.
The athletic department has faced a variety of high-profile controversies in the past few years. In March 2003, the department was criticized for the College's attempted elimination of the varsity swim and diving teams, which would have affected members of the Class of 2007. However, due to intense student and alumni protest, College President James Wright announced that Dartmouth would maintain both teams for another ten seasons.
More recently, in December 2004, scandal erupted after the Valley News published comments made by Director of Admissions Karl Furstenberg regarding his personal opinions on the relationship among college football, academics and diversity.
In a letter written to Swarthmore College President Alfred Bloom, Furstenberg called varsity football programs "a sacrifice to the academic quality and diversity of entering first-year classes." The comments became an important issue in the recent election of two College trustees.
Despite recent contentions regarding sports at the College, Hopkins will assume his position on Aug. 1 with a positive outlook. He views boosting school spirit as one of his main goals.
"I want the student body to support varsity athletics in general, and I'm going to do my best to create an environment for the students to come out and support their fellow classmates," Hopkins said.
Deputy Athletic Director Robert Ceplikas believes Hopkins brings a combination of experience and enthusiasm that will benefit athletics at Dartmouth.
"We're very excited to have him coming to Dartmouth because he brings great experience and skill with him, and I think all our programs will benefit from his presence," Ceplikas said.
Hopkins has been employed with the Brown University athletic department since 2003. Prior to his time at Brown, he served as the project assistant with the Sports Management group of Oakland, California, as well as director of marketing for the Richmond Speed arena football team.
As assistant athletic director for marketing and promotions, Hopkins's responsibilities will include handling promotional activities at athletic events, publicizing and generating support for sporting events, as well as attracting more students, faculty and locals to sporting events.
Hopkins expressed enthusiasm for assuming these responsibilities as well as for joining the Hanover community. Additionally, he expressed his gratitude for becoming a part of the Dartmouth athletic department.
"I've been in the Ivy League for the last few years and have always been impressed with Dartmouth on and off the field," he said. "There's an incredible set of coaches and administrators, and I'm looking forward to working with them."
He described his role as the promotion of Dartmouth athletics locally as well as nationwide.
"My job will be to promote varsity athletics in the Upper Valley and nationally, and my goal is to grow the fan base and continue to cultivate the support of the corporate community," Hopkins said.
Despite tensions over the past few years concerning sports at Dartmouth, Ceplikas believes Hopkins joins the department at an exciting time.
Citing increased attendance at men's and women's hockey and basketball games, as well as the recent hiring of head football coach Buddy Teevens '79, Ceplikas believes athletic events will experience strengthened attendance and support.
"We're very proud of the role that athletics plays in the Ivy League, where we have outstanding students who also happen to be very talented athletes," Ceplikas said.
Hopkins was born in Pownal, Vt., and graduated from Connecticut College in the year 1998. He earned a master's degree in sports management from Virginia Commonwealth University in the year 2002.
