Athletics staff and coaches began the move into Alumni Field House on Jan. 14. The 30,000-square-foot facility at the north end of Rhodes Stadium in the North Athletics Complex is the new headquarters for Phoenix athletics.
“Awesome” was the first reaction by assistant softball coach Kathy Bocock, as she saw her new office for the first time. She has been sharing a small space in East Gym with fellow assistant coach Monica Wright. Their new offices, by comparison, seem palatial.
In another office area on the building’s second floor, Kyle Wills, senior associate athletics director for business and operations, had already moved in and was handling the countless details of allocating furniture, hooking up computers and phones, and answering questions by his colleagues who were carrying boxes and setting up their operations.
“I have spent every workday for the past 30 years in Koury Center,” Wills said. “This new building is incredible. It’s a true Division I facility. I can’t wait to see the reaction when our new recruits arrive for our first event next weekend.”
Alumni Field House includes Hendrickson Football Center in recognition of a gift from alumni Jay ’71 and Amy ’69 Hendrickson of Raleigh, N.C., who contributed $1 million gift in honor of Jay’s father, Horace J. Hendrickson, one of Elon’s all-time great coaches. The center includes a spacious locker room with cherry wood cabinets, a state-of-the-art training room with a hydrotherapy room, and a huge strength and conditioning room.
The second floor of the building includes the Walker Room and Terrace overlooking Rhodes Stadium, in recognition of a gift from alumnus and trustee Zac Walker ’60 and his wife, Dot, of Raleigh, N.C. They made a $500,000 gift in honor of Zac’s father, Zachary T. Walker Jr., a member of Elon’s Sports Hall of Fame, and Zac’s uncle, D.C. “Peahead” Walker, another of Elon’s all-time great coaches.
Alumni Field House also includes a large team meeting room, conference rooms and space for student athletes to study. It also provides offices for the athletics director and coaches in the football, baseball, soccer, cross country, and track and field programs, as well as other athletics staff.
The building will be formally dedicated at ceremonies before the annual spring football game on Saturday, April 16.