Former Seattle Public Schools Athletic Director Eric McCurdy has been named the Associate Vice President/Director of Athletics California State University – Dominguez Hills (CSUDH), becoming the 11th athletic director in 53-year history of the school’s athletic program.
In his new role, McCurdy will oversee CSUDH’s athletic department which currently fields 10 different teams (4 Men’s, 6 Women’s) competing at the NCAA Division II level, including their men’s soccer team which is currently ranked #3 in the country. The CSUDH Toros competes in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA), the most prominent Division II conference in the nation with 154 NCAA National Championships, far more than any other conference in the nation.
McCurdy returns to intercollegiate athletics after serving the last four years running his own consulting firm that aids mission-oriented organizations and advises on improving learning and work environments. He also provided guidance for potential student-athletes and their families through the NCAA recruitment, transfer and NIL process.
Prior to starting his firm, McCurdy spent eight years serving as the Executive Director of Athletics and the Metro League Commissioner for the Seattle Public Schools. Before that, McCurdy served eight years at the University of Houston as its men’s basketball director of operations/academics.
“Eric is a high-energy leader that will bring a fresh perspective to the Toro Nation,” Dr. William Franklin, California State University, Dominguez Hills Vice President for Student Affairs said in a statement. “Given his consulting and fundraising background, he will provide an innovative and non-traditional approach to take Athletics to the next level. His experience also speaks to community engagement and he will immediately advance our Strategic Planning aspirations to be a Pillar of the Community.
“Eric also has direct and relevant experiences working in higher education,” he continued. “Throughout his career, Eric made enduring connections to student athletes and was successful in helping them excel in their respective sport, in the classroom, and in their chosen profession. Eric cites student-athlete success and development as the most rewarding aspect of this position.”
While serving his role for the Seattle Public Schools, McCurdy successfully focused on fundraising. He initiated a Major Gifts Fund which led to a $2.74 million donation, the largest individual gift for an interscholastic public-school athletics department in the state of Washington, which he used to increase student participation in athletics by 44 percent. In addition, he developed strategies for a historically underserved school gifting $4.3 million, which resulted in a 25 percent increase in graduation rates at the schools.
McCurdy was instrumental in the City of Seattle passing levy funding of $2.8 million over seven years for Seattle Public Schools athletics, and he successfully helped pass the $699 million BEX IV Levy, known as the Building Excellence Levy, and the $475 million BEX V Levy, with over 72 percent of the Seattle votes approving both propositions.
As Commissioner of the Metro League, McCurdy oversaw it becoming known as the best high school basketball conference in the nation, placing seven players in the NBA.
A former soccer letterwinner at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, McCurdy graduated with a Bachelor of Science in psychology and a minor in physical education. He then graduated Cum Laude with his Master’s Degree in Coaching and Athletic Administration from Concordia University Irvine.
“I am truly honored and blessed to accept this position at CSUDH,” said McCurdy. “My family and I are very excited about moving to Southern California and becoming part of the Toro family. I look forward to working with coaches, faculty and staff as we serve the amazing student-athletes, alumni and boosters that help make this institution so great.”
