by Alex Trepper

At Greensboro College, there is not a day that goes by where a student athlete on a team is not somewhere on campus playing, practicing, working out, meeting with coaches or getting treatment done at athletic training.

All of this runs through the athletic department and the athletic department is run by Kim Strable, who for 23 years has served as Athletic Director. He was recently re-hired in 2020 to be Greensboro College’s new Director of Athletics, but he was no stranger to the school as he had already held the position for 20 years while also being the head coach of both the men’s and women’s tennis teams.

When a team at Greensboro College wins, everyone congratulates the players first, then they realize the players would not be there without the coach, so they go congratulate him or her. No one takes that a step further and thinks to ask who put the coach in that position. The person who hires the right coach to put that program in a position to win is the athletic director. This position is one of the most important and interesting there is at the collegiate level.

We all know that the athlete’s job is to practice and play and the coach’s job is to coach and recruit, but everything else that goes on falls to Strable. As the athletic director, his responsibility is almost exactly how it sounds – to direct the athletic department. While this may sound simple, it is far from it. Besides being energetic and supportive for our athletes and coaches, he is also in charge of facilities, athletic training, conference obligations, sports information and media, athletic budgets, NCAA eligibility and regulations and hiring/firing coaches.

During Strable’s first eight years at Greensboro College, he oversaw eight teams. Within the first seven years, he doubled that number to 16. By year 20, he had brought the GC athletic department into the 21st century and saw GC athletics rising in most sports, bringing home over two dozen conference championships as well as an NCAA championship. He has nurtured and watched this school’s athletics program grow and become what we know it as today, but that did not come without hard work and long hours.

Strable stepped away after two decades at the college. In his time away from Greensboro College he served as the president of the Greensboro Sports Commission, where he acted as an ambassador for the city of Greensboro in the sports world. He helped the city and Triad secure multiple big-time sporting events such as hosting USA Swimming qualifiers and the first and second rounds of both men’s and women’s NCAA March Madness tournaments.

His achievements at this position were not only great for the city, as he is credited with producing a strong economic impact in the area, but it was great for him as well. “[It was] an amazing opportunity which was enjoyable for every second,” Strable said.

His position also helped him network within the city. He now uses these connections to help improve GC athletics.

When he was approached about coming back to the college, he knew it was going to be an uphill battle, but he said, “This place was like home and I felt like I owed it to this school to come back and help this department improve and succeed.”

Dr. Czarda, the president of Greensboro College, was the one who wanted to bring Strable back because he thought he was the right person to be the “steady hand on the helm.” Strable has been more than just a steady hand since coming back, as he has done a tremendous job, especially when it comes to upgrading facilities and coach turnover.

His work on improving the facilities has been a success in the three years since his return. With Pride Field up and running, Strable has helped create and balance a schedule of practices and games so every team that needs access to the field can have it, thanks to it being turf and having lights.

When it came to the athletic weight room, he oversaw the donation of equipment from our neighboring Division One schools which helped improve the lifting equipment for our athletes. The softball and baseball teams have seen upgrades at their off-campus fields, with Strable’s connections in the city and the college making deals. Both teams now have new home fields.

Softball now plays at Barber Park, which is not only safer for the players and fans, but also has lights, concessions and a press box which all were non-existent at their old field. This change of home fields is huge for the program as it helps with recruiting, attendance and overall team morale. Thanks to these upgrades, their game-day experiences will be much better. Baseball was able to make a deal as well, and now plays the bulk of their home games on an all-turf stadium in High Point.

When it comes to the coaching carousel, Strable has been fantastic at selecting the right head coaches for openings. Since he took over, he has brought in coaching legend Heather Macy, who has turned women’s basketball into a top program. Last year, the baseball and softball teams welcomed the hirings of Chris Fenisey and Meredith Mills, who
both have turned their groups into true contenders. He also oversaw the founding of the Pride triathlon team which was ground-breaking in itself, but he topped that by hiring what could be the best coaching staff in the country, Karen Buxton and Mathew Clancy.

It is important to understand that behind every big win or championship there are months and months of hard work that make it all possible. As the Director of Athletics, Strable is the “Coach of Coaches” and it is his job and responsibility to make sure the right people are guiding our student athletes, as well as make sure the facilities at GC are the best they can be to help athletes train and compete. Over the course of 23 years, he has succeeded in this role and continues to find more things to achieve
every day.