General Athletics Phone: 732.987.2683
General Athletics FAX: 732.987.2002
GCU Athletics Hotline: 732.987.2626
Director of Athletics & Recreation
732-987-2683 liesmanl@georgian.edu
Laura B. Liesman was named Georgian Court University's Director of Athletics & Recreation in September 2003. A native of Aurora, Illinois, she received a bachelor of arts degree in sociology with a business concentration from Monmouth College in Monmouth, Illinois, and a master of science in sports management from Georgia Southern University in Statesboro, Georgia.
In just a short time at GCU, Liesman has already guided the athletics program to new heights. She has worked hand-in-hand with the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, making it a dynamic entity on campus. Her vision for GCU is to continue to increase the number of student-athletes, while gaining more exposure for the program in the media and the general public. With her guidance, GCU is building a new state-of-the-art recreation, wellness and athletics complex, which will become the new home of GCU Athletics in Fall 2008.
Prior to GCU, Liesman worked at the College of Saint Benedict as assistant director of athletics/director of summer camps. She had been associated with the CSB Athletic department since 2001, with duties including marketing, fund raising, promotions, summer camps, and compliance. Her accomplishments included expanding the colleges Blazer Backer program, CSBs Blazer Open Golf Outing, and increasing camp revenue each year.
Liesman holds memberships in the National Association of Collegiate Womens Athletic Administrators (NACWAA), the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), and the Division II Athletic Directors Association. She is a 2003 graduate of the NACWAA/HERS Institute for Administrative Advancement.
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Christopher McKibben
Assistant Director of Athletics for Sports Information & Operations
732.987.2690 mckibbenC@georgian.edu
Christopher McKibben was named Assistant Athletics Director for Sports Information and Operations in January, 2008 after spending the previous two-and-a-half years with the American Red Cross. This opportunity with the Lions gives McKibben the chance to return to his true passion ... athletics.
Chris worked six seasons in professional baseball, including four as media relations director with the New Britain (CT) Rock Cats, the AA affiliate of the Minnesota Twins. A native of Middletown, NJ, McKibben graduated from the University of Southern Maine with a degree in Media Studies.
Chris and his wife, Rachel, still reside in Middletown with their two children, Trevor and Paige.
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 Joe Friedrich
Head Athletic Trainer
732.987.2687 (office) 732.690.7664 (work cell) 732.987.2031 (fax) friedrichj@georgian.edu
More Athletic Training Info
Friedrich joined the Georgian Court University athletic staff in September 2007. He will be taking on various duties as Head Athletic Trainer for the Lions. He will also be splitting time with the Assistant Trainer in regards to game-day coverage for all sports.
Prior to joining the GCU community, Friedrich served as the certified athletic trainer at Holy Spirit High School in Absecon, New Jersey. In the summer of 2007, he worked with the Atlantic City Surf, an independent minor league baseball club in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
A graduate of The Pennsylvania State University, Friedrich earned a Bachelor of Sciences degree in Kinesiology with an Athletic Training option. During his professional preparation through Penn State’s accredited athletic training program, Friedrich had the opportunity to work with Penn State athletes on the track and field, lacrosse, and rugby teams.
He is a certified instructor for the American Red Cross for First Aid and CPR for both the professional and lay responder and is preparing to take the Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) exam offered through the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).
Friedrich is licensed as an athletic trainer in both New Jersey and Pennsylvania and is a member of both the National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA) and the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA).
He currently resides in Absecon, New Jersey, with his wife, Alicia, and makes the daily commute to Lakewood.
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 Jodi Anderson
Assistant Athletic Trainer
732.987.2777 andersonj@georgian.edu
More Athletic Training Info
Jodi joined the Georgian Court University Athletics staff in January of 2008. Prior to moving to New Jersey, Jodi worked over 8 years for the Douglas County Hospital in Alexandria, MN as a Certified Athletic Trainer. Her job duties included providing athletic training coverage to two local high schools, rehabilitating patients in clinical setting and coordinating an Athletic Enhancement program for athletes that included Sportsmetrics. The Athletic Enhancement program is an intense training program designed to increase the speed, agility, strength and power of the athlete while incorporating injury prevention techniques. Sportsmetrics is an injury prevention program scientifically designed to reduce knee injuries in the female athlete.
Jodi is a Minnesota native who received her Bachelor’s of Arts degree in Athletic Training and a Bachelor’s of Arts Degree in Health Fitness from Gustavus Adolphus College (St. Peter, MN) in 1998. She became a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) in 2003 and worked for Summit Sports Training Center as a Performance Coach in Cherry Hill, NJ just prior to joining the GCU community. Jodi has been an Emergency Medical Technician Basic (EMT-B) and an American Red Cross Instructor since 1999; she is also member of the National Athletic Trainers’ Association and the National Strength and Conditioning Association.
Jodi resides in Marlton, NJ. She enjoys the outdoors by spending time on the water, bicycling, snowmobiling, snowboarding, deer hunting, camping and riding her motorcycle. She also enjoys attending country music concerts, watching football and spending time with family and friends.
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Athletic Secretary
732.987.2683 williamsm@georgian.edu
An established member of the Georgian Court University family for over 6 years, Mary Williams transferred to the Athletics Department from the S. Mary Joseph Cunningham Library in August 2004, bringing with her a love for athletics.
Aside from her duties at Georgian Court, Williams has been involved in various youth sports organizations, including the Howell Girls Softball League and Howell Central Little League. She also served on the Howell Pop Warner Organization Board of Directors for seven years.
A mother of two, Williams' daughter, Nicole, is a senior at GCU this fall. Her son Tony can be found serving as the GCU Lions mascot at many games.
Williams is also attending GCU, completing her degree in psychology.
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Faculty Athletic Representative
732.987.2776 gallagherc@georgian.edu
Claire Gallagher, Ed.D., is an associate professor in the School of Education, where her areas are secondary math and science curriculum and instruction. She has been a member of the GCU community for nine years, also serving as the faculty athletic representative.
Gallagher holds a bachelors degree in marine biology, a masters degree in secondary science education, a masters degree in architecture and a doctorate in architecture education. She holds a New Jersey Supervisors Certificate, and is an internationally recognized authority on built environment education. Her particular research focuses on the effect of the built environment on the visual and spatial thinking skills of children.
At GCU she uses her expertise in the development of interdisciplinary curricula and inquiry-based teaching strategies with which she infuses the courses she teaches.
Her efforts with the GCU student-athletes has helped bridge the gap between the classroom and the playing field.
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Basketball - Head Coach
732.987.2605 curtisv@georgian.edu
Curtis joined the Georgian Court University Community in 2007. Curtis comes to GCU via Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania where she guided the Lady Eagles for the past three seasons. Following a 4-23 record in her first season, the Lady Eagles posted the third most improved team in the nation in 2005 with a record of 17-9. The 2005 season was the first winning season for Lock Haven in a decade.
Curtis began her career in college athletics as a student-athlete at the University of the District of Columbia (UDC). While there, Valerie was a starter and leading scorer for the Firebirds. In 1993, Curtis led NCAA Division II women’s basketball averaging 6.1 steals per game (135 total). She still ranks second in the nation’s single-season chart for steals. Having finished her collegiate career averaging 4.7 steals per game (318 steals), Valerie ranks third on the NCAA’s all-time list in steals average. While leading her team in 1995 to a record of 20-6, the University of the District of Columbia made a berth into the 1995 NCAA Division II tournament.
Following her stellar collegiate career, Coach Curtis joined the UDC coaching staff as an assistant coach. Curtis served as assistant for two seasons from 1995-1997. Along with assistant coaching, Valerie served as the coordinator of Martha’s Table Adolescent Program, which counseled and motivated disadvantaged teens as a project site director of the Communities in Schools program in Washington, D.C. Curtis also administrated and implemented the development of the D.C. Reads program at selected elementary schools.
In 1998, Curtis joined Fresno State as an assistant basketball coach. For four years, she served as recruiting coordinator and opponent scout. Curtis also led pre-season and post-season conditioning while serving as student-athlete academic advisor. Curtis returned to the East in 2002 serving as an assistant basketball coach at Lock Haven. Following the 2003-2004 season, Curtis took over the reigns and assumed the position of head basketball coach.
Prior to attending UDC, Curtis served in the United States Navy for four years. At the University of the District of Columbia, she earned a bachelor’s degree in Health Education in 1996 and a master’s of science degree in Public Administration in 1998.
Coach Curtis will serve as Head Basketball Coach as well as implementing the NCAA Division II’s community engagement initiative on Georgian Court’s campus. The Division II initiative focuses on the interaction between Division II institutions and their local communities. The goal of the platform is to engage Georgian Court’s community actively in the life of our campus as it is a key component of the development of our students.
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Cross Country - Head Coach
732.987.2696 lanzk@georgian.edu
Bringing over 26 years of cross-country experience as a competitor and coach, Kerwin Lanz has served eight seasons as head coach at GCU. Emphasizing teamwork as his core principle in coaching, Lanz has been effective in developing GCU's cross-country athletes both physically and mentally for success.
Lanz's success has earned him CACC Coach of the Year honors five times (2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, & 2006). Prior to his endeavors at GCU, Lanz served as Head Indoor Coach at Manalapan High School for 15 years, where he doubled as the schools Girls Cross-Country Head Coach for 11 seasons. He also is USATF Level I, II, and III Certified, with concentrations in endurance running, sprints, and hurdles. Lanz also authored, "The Mental Edge for Track Competition," a mental training program for track and field.
Despite his competitive edge, Lanz never loses sight of his main goals: discipline, cooperation, self-respect, self-sufficiency, and most of all, enjoyment. He graduated with a Bachelors in Arts in education from East Carolina University, and later completed his Masters in Education at Rutgers University.
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Lacrosse - Head Coach
732.987.2789 migliorisim@georgian.edu
A native of Brick, New Jersey, Migliorisi made his collegiate head coaching debut for the Lions in 2007. Boasting a team of 15 freshmen and 3 upperclassmen, he led the Lions to an 11-7 record and an appearance in the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference (ECAC) Championship. The Lions recorded the best record for any first year collegiate lacrosse program at any NCAA level (Division I, II, or III).
Previously, Migliorisi had spent the six seasons as the head girls' lacrosse coach at St. Rose High School, guiding that program since its inception in 2000. His tenure included three straight trips to the New Jersey State Semifinals. Prior to and alongside his duties at St. Rose, Migliorisi doubled as Head Coach of girls soccer at Shore Regional High School where he and his teams earned five division championships. "Miggs" earned Monmouth County Coach of Year honors in 2003 and 2006.
At GCU, Migliorisi will continue to focus on developing the Lions young program. A 1988 graduate of William Paterson University, Migliorisi received a Bachelors Degree in movement science before attaining a Masters Degree in administration and supervision and principal certification at Jersey City State College (New Jersey City University), in 1996. Aside from his coaching background, Migliorisi has been a teacher for the past 17 years, the last 13 in Howell Township.
An avid surfer, lifeguard, and fitness guru, Migliorisi was a world finalist in the 1994 Lifeguard Olympics in New Quay, England. Migliorisi's accolades include 21 USA medals in lifeguard competition, as well as 54 Gold, 38 Silver, and 22 Bronze medals in Ocean and Monmouth Counties. He is the founder of Aqua Serve Lifeguards, a company he operated for 15 years until 2003.
Migliorisi and his wife, Cindy, have a daughter, Carlee, and a son, Tyler. They currently reside in Manasquan.
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Soccer - Head Coach
732.987.2695 moorejames@georgian.edu
A former assistant coach at Bryant University, Moore made his collegiate head coaching debut for the Lions in 2005. Alongside his duties patrolling the sidelines, the coach also serves as Equipment Manager and Home Event Operations Manager at GCU. In 2006, Moore led Georgian Court to the largest turnaround in Division II winning 8.5 games more than the previous year. For his efforts, Moore was selected the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Women's Soccer Coach of the Year in 2006.
A graduate of Providence College in 1996, Moore made his first foray into coaching soon after, obtaining an assistant womens coaching position at his alma mater in 1998. Called on to manage field training and game preparation duties, Moore became a worthy recruiter for the program while specializing in goalkeeper training with the Friars Division I program. In 1999, Moore continued his advancement by earning an assistant coaching position at Bryant University, a member of the Northeast-10 Conference.
While at Bryant, Moore played a crucial role in turning around a Bulldog program which had not posted a winning season since 1993, helping the team earn its first national ranking and posting a school-high 14-win season in 2003.
Originally from Melville, New York, Moore is married to the former Kate Callahan, and the couple currently reside in Burlington, New Jersey with their daughter, Meghan. Recently, Moore completed his graduate studies at Cambridge College, earning a Masters Degree in education.
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 Jeff Franquet
Softball - Head Coach
732.987.2697 franquetj@georgian.edu
A native of Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, Franquet is no stranger to collegiate athletics. Franquet led the Lions Softball squad to their first Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Championship and first-ever NCAA Division II Regional Tournament in his first year as head coach. For his efforts, Franquet was selected the 2007 CACC Softball Coach of the Year.
Previously, Franquet compiled a record of 170-146 while coaching the Central Florida Community College Patriots from 1999-2001 and the Jacksonville University Dolphins from 2003-2005.
No stranger to the diamond, Franquet has coached for the past nineteen years. His accomplishments at Jacksonville University include victories over top-notch programs like Florida State, UMass and Hofstra. Franquet has produced two 1st Team Atlantic Sun Conference (ASUN) All-Conference players and two 1st Team ASUN All-Freshmen.
A 1992 graduate of Mansfield University, Franquet received a Bachelors Degree in Liberal Arts. Aside from his coaching background, Franquet has many accolades on the diamond as a player. Throughout his 21-year softball career, which includes 4 years of professional ball, Franquet has earned 16 MVP Honors, played in two world championships, nine national championships, as well as 15 regional and 17 state championships.
Franquet and his wife, Brooke, have a daughter, Madison. They currently reside in Beverly, New Jersey.
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Tennis - Head Coach
732.987.2698 ballingalla@georgian.edu
Entering her second season with the Lions, Ballingall comes to GCU from Ocean County College, where she had served as the head women's tennis coach since 2003. While at OCC Ballingall helped establish the Viking program to one of the top teams in New Jersey. In addition to coaching collegiately, Ballingall has owned and operated the Ocean Tennis Center Inc. in Toms River for the past sixteen years. She offers group and private instruction for all ages, as well as a full-service tennis pro shop.
Ballingall is a certified tennis instructor since 1989 who holds a USTA Level 2 Sports Science Competency certificate. She is also a member of the United States Tennis Association and the Prince Elite National Team. Ballingall is a past president of the Ocean County Tennis Association.
In addition to her business, Ballingall has also served in many capacities for the United States Tennis Association at the local, sectional, and national levels. She has served as a speaker at national USTA conferences. Ballingall has also taken an interest in the local tennis circuit. She can be credited with forming the local United States Tennis Association (USTA) Adult Leagues now continuing throughout the shore. She has organized a local World Team Tennis League, as well as hosted a regional event featuring Billie Jean King.
When she is not concentrating on developing others' tennis careers, Ballingall enjoys spending time with her husband, Ken, and daughter, Danielle.
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Phil Groves
Track & Field - Head Coach
732.987.2653 grovesp@georgian.edu
Phil Groves joined GCU in May, 2008 and will be at the helm of Georgian Court’s first ever track and field program, which will begin competition during the 2008-2009 school year. Groves has spent the last year as the Assistant Track and Field Coach at Adams State College in Colorado. During that time, Groves helped guide the throws squad, as well as select sprinters and multi-eventers to multiple All-American Honors. Prior to ASC, Groves spent a brief stint at Chadron State College (NE) as the throws and short sprints coach. From 2004 through 2006 Groves was the Assistant Coach at Missouri Baptist University, where he primarily coached the throwing events. In his four years as a collegiate coach, Groves has mentored athletes who have combined for two individual National Championships, 18 All-American Honors, and three Team National Championships, while being named 2005 NAIA National Assistant Coach of the Year. Groves is currently finishing his M.A. in Exercise Science from Adams State College.
Coach Groves is a 2005 graduate of the University of Missouri, and is married to Morgan Perry.
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Volleyball - Head Coach
732.987.2699 casadof@georgian.edu
Francisco Casado just recently completed his third season with the Lions. Casado led the GCU's Volleyball program to their first Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Championship title and first-ever NCAA Division II Regional Tournament.
A native of Puerto Rico, Casado has brought over 21 years of volleyball playing and coaching experience into his first collegiate head coaching position.
Since 2001, Casado has been a member of the South Jersey Volleyball Club, helping guide various girls club programs in New Jersey to regional and national honors, including first place finishes at The Freedom Invitational and Red Lions Championship in 2004. He coached in several club and amateur organizations in the 1990s, including a volunteer position with the PAL as an athletic instructor and volleyball coach.
Prior to his coaching endeavors, Casado attended the University of Puerto Rico, where he was granted a scholarship to participate in volleyball and track & field. After collegiate competition, Casado played for various volleyball clubs in Puerto Rico, helping those developing organizations blossom into regional powers that are still strong today.
In 1994, Casado began his coaching career, working for the Borinquen Coquis Volleyball Club as a coach for the 13-14 boys team. That year, his team was representing Puerto Rico at the Junior Olympics in San Jose, California, where they won the silver medal.
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