UCLA’s Stephenson Gets Emory Job

Betsy Stephenson, who supervised UCLA’s successful women’s programs the last eight years, will become athletic director at Emory, a Division III school in Atlanta.

Bruin women’s teams won 10 national championships since Stephenson became associate athletic director and senior women’s administrator in 1996. She also oversees academic and recruiting services, and at one time supervised marketing and promotions.

Stephenson was one of four finalists for the athletic director opening at UCLA in 2002. Dan Guerrero got the job and Stephenson stayed on as his top associate.

Stephenson “has been an important member of the UCLA athletic administration for eight years and has been invaluable to me during my two years at UCLA,” said Guerrero, who will conduct a nationwide search for a successor.

“She will be a terrific athletic director and we wish her all the best.”

Emory, which offers 18 sports and does not award athletic scholarships, is considered one of the top Division III programs in the nation. Emory also had more postgraduate scholarship winners among its athletes than any other school at any level last year.

“The national academic and athletic success of its program is exemplary,” Stephenson said.

Stephenson, a Kansas graduate, was NCAA director of men’s basketball operations from 1990 to ’92 before becoming an associate athletic director at Kansas from 1992 to ’96. Her last day at UCLA will be May 31.

“Betsy Stephenson is a tremendous fit” for Emory, said John Ford, Emory senior vice president. “I’m confident she will provide strong leadership.”

UCLA has won 15 national championships since 1996: four in women’s gymnastics, two each in softball, women’s water polo, women’s track, men’s volleyball and men’s soccer, and one in men’s water polo.