DeShon Foxx, who left Shenandoah University in August, returns as its athletics director by Dec. 14. He takes over from interim director Bill Stewart.
DeShon Foxx is coming back to run Shenandoah University’s athletics department, about three months after he left for another job. University President Tracy Fitzsimmons announced his return Thursday.
Foxx will be the university’s vice president and director of athletics by Dec. 14, according to the university’s announcement. He takes over from Bill Stewart, who has been the Hornets’ interim athletics director since Foxx left.
Foxx was Shenandoah’s athletics director for two years. He left in August for what the university called an NCAA Division I opportunity. The announcement does not name that job.
“Shenandoah is truly a family, and I couldn’t be more excited to come home and continue building on the momentum of Shenandoah Athletics,” Foxx said in the announcement.
His five years at Shenandoah
Foxx spent five years at the Winchester university in several roles, according to the announcement:
- 2021: hired as Shenandoah’s first assistant athletic director for student success and compliance director
- 2022: moved to the Office of Advancement as assistant vice president for advancement, overseeing major gifts
- 2024: returned to athletics as athletics director
He was also the university’s assistant vice president for student affairs when he left, and taught sport law as an adjunct professor in the School of Business.
What changed under Foxx
The university credits Foxx with three changes in his first two years as athletics director:
- Men’s volleyball was added as Shenandoah’s 23rd sport.
- He founded the 1875 Club, the fundraising and sponsorship arm of Shenandoah Athletics.
- In April, he helped announce a gift from Jimmy and Roni Wilkins, Richie and Cara Wilkins, and the James R. Wilkins Charitable Trust. It pays for an expansion of the James R. Wilkins Jr. Athletics & Events Center.
The university also gave these figures for its athletes:
| Measure | Figure | Period |
|---|---|---|
| All-Old Dominion Athletic Conference honors | 116 | Two years before the fall 2026 season |
| Major conference awards | 14 | Fall 2024 to spring 2026 |
| ODAC championships | 2 | Fall 2024 to spring 2026 |
| NCAA tournament appearances | 4 | Fall 2024 to spring 2026 |
| Department grade point average | 3.35 | 2025-26 academic year |
| Athletes with a 3.50 GPA or higher | 269 | 2025-26 academic year |
| Athletes with a 4.0 GPA | 71 | 2025-26 academic year |
“DeShon proved to be an exceptionally talented leader, mentor and fundraiser during his years at Shenandoah,” Fitzsimmons said in the announcement.
She thanked Stewart and Yolanda Barbier Gibson, the vice president for student affairs. The two kept the department running after Foxx left. Gibson stays in her role, and Stewart will keep close ties with Shenandoah Athletics, Fitzsimmons said.
What it means for you
- For Hornets fans: the department goes back to the leader who added men’s volleyball and started the 1875 Club, by Dec. 14.
- For the Wilkins center: Foxx helped announce the gift for its expansion in April. The announcement gives no timeline or cost for that work.
- For athletes and recruits: the athletics director’s job has been filled on an interim basis since August. It will have a permanent holder again by Dec. 14.
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