(LEBANON, Ill., April 20)—McKendree University director of athletics Chuck Brueggemann announced on Thursday that Anthony Francis has been hired to serve as the new associate director of athletics for compliance at the University.
 
Francis joins the McKendree staff after serving in the compliance office at California Baptist University, which is a fellow NCAA Division II institution. Francis arrived at California Baptist in 2013 before taking on the role of assistant director of compliance in January 2014. In that position, Francis helped ensure that the Lancers' programs adhered to all institutional, conference, and NCAA bylaws and regulations. He also monitored the online NCAA Compliance Assistant program, served as a co-advisor to CBU's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and assisted with the daily operations of the compliance office.
 
"Anthony Francis is a great addition to the McKendree family and our athletic department," said Brueggemann. "He has been an integral part of the compliance department at California Baptist, which is beginning the transition process to NCAA Division I membership. Anthony is very thorough in his approach to athletics compliance. He has a reputation of leaving no stone unturned and is very detail-oriented, which has earned the respect of his peers and his co-workers. Anthony's personality and demeanor are perfect for the world of intercollegiate athletics, and I have every confidence that he will make us a better department at McKendree."
 
A member of the National Association of Athletics Compliance (NAAC), Francis also helped prepare squad lists and eligibility reports, monitored weekly practice logs and helped evaluate transcripts of incoming and transfer student-athletes to help determine eligibility at California Baptist. Francis first gained experience in the educational field as a development intern at the University of California at Riverside in the spring and summer of 2013.
 
Francis arrived in California after spending a decade living in Anchorage, Alaska. During his time in Anchorage, he coached competitive youth soccer and guided his squad to consecutive state championships in 2011 and 2012.
 
The product of a military family, Francis has lived in several different locations around the globe. He was born in Mississippi but has spent time living in Turkey and Maryland as well as Alaska.  Francis also lived in the Metro East as his mother was stationed at nearby Scott Air Force Base, where he attended O'Fallon Township High School.
 
"First I would like to thank Chuck Brueggemann, (McKendree University President) Dr. James Dennis, for giving me this opportunity to join the Bearcat family," said Francis. "I'm excited about the opportunity to contribute to the overall success to not only the athletics department, but to McKendree University as a whole. In just a few short years, McKendree has created a strong presence among NCAA Division II institutions athletically, academically and in administrative policy. I'm looking forward to drawing from my experiences so far in the field of compliance to help enhance the things we do so well here at McKendree."
 
Francis earned his bachelor's degree in business administration from the University of Alaska-Anchorage in 2012 and his master's degree in kinesiology-sport management from California Baptist in 2014. He is currently pursuing a Doctorate of Education in organizational leadership. Francis and his wife, Cerelia, have a son, Braylon.  
 
Francis replaces Angela Red, who had served as the associate director of athletics for compliance and senior woman administrator at McKendree after coming to the University in May 2011. Red left McKendree to take a similar position at the NCAA national office in Indianapolis, Ind.