Bill Peterson’s Hall of Fame career as Director of Athletics has come to an end. The university announced Thursday, March 19 that Peterson was stepping down.
Peterson made the joint announcement with President Dr. Don Dowless. Senior Associate Athletic Director Matt Green has taken on responsibilities as interim athletic director. It is unknown to the public why Peterson made the decision, but Green had nothing but good things to say about the athletic director’s time here.
“Coach Pete, for the last 12 years, put his heart and soul into this,” Green said. “He lives in Powder Springs so he drove an hour and fifteen minutes to work every day.”
Peterson started at Shorter in 2005 where he volunteered as the football program’s recruiting coordinator. In 2008, Peterson solidified his position as the new Director of Athletics. During his last seven years, the athletic program burgeoned.
Sports Information Director Karen Allen recognized how much of an impact Peterson had on the people around him.
“I think he held us all together,” she said. “Everything he did was for the best interest of our athletes.”
During his stint, Peterson led the Shorter Hawks’ teams to 17 championships. Compare that to zero which was the number of championships prior to Peterson’s arrival.
The most notable accomplishment of Peterson’s happened when Shorter climbed its way to NCAA Division II membership.
Before his years spent at Shorter, Peterson served in the private sphere as President and co-founder of Horizon Medical Products. He then transitioned to Mount Paran Christian School in Kennesaw to coach the baseball team. There, he was named the Atlanta-Journal Constitution Coach of the Year for leading Mount Paran to the state finals.
Now, the athletic program is transitioning to a new era under the temporary leadership of Green. For Green, though, it had always been a dream of his to ascend the ladder in athletics.
“I told him when I came here that I had a goal of being an athletic director and he took that seriously and gave me responsibilities,” Green said. “He supported me in the good and the bad times.”
Green did not share on the prospects that could be filling his interim position after the spring.
“There are going to be a lot of good candidates out there vying for the job,” Green said.
Peterson will be missed in the athletic department. Allen said there was a sad feeling among the coaches and athletic workers after he left.
“He made us all want to help our students succeed, whether academically, athletically, or spiritually,” Allen said.
Brittni Dulaney, the women’s lacrosse coach, first met Peterson when he was recruiting her at Presbyterian College in South Carolina.
Dulaney said Peterson was loved by everyone in the athletic department. For the women’s lacrosse team, who is still in midseason, not much will change.
“I’m still going to be their leader and be there for them,” Dulaney said.
Dulaney believes the team, with a 4-5 record, has adjusted well to the NCAA transition.
“I know that since he’s left, there hasn’t been a lot of positivity in the athletic department,” Jonathan Nester, a sophomore business major, said.
That positivity is what Nester remembers the most about Peterson. Nester plays for the men’s basketball team, and he also coordinates film for both the men’s and women’s basketball squads.
Dr. Dowless released a statement saying, “Coach Peterson has guided Shorter Athletics through a tremendous growth period, both in numbers of championships and in student enrollment.” He also said, “He has the heartfelt thanks and love of the Shorter University family.”
