ETSU names Mullins interim A.D.

By Allen LaMountain
ASST. SPORTS EDITOR
awlamountain@starhq.com

   JOHNSON CITY -- At halftime of the Bucs' contest against Coastal Carolina on Friday night, Dr. Paul E. Stanton, Jr. -- President of the University -- introduced coach David Mullins as the schools interim Athletic Director.
   The spot -- vacated effectively on January 10 by Todd Stansbury, who accepted a position at Oregon State University -- will be filled by the ETSU 16-year head tennis coach.
   "Coach Mullins has been with us a long time," said Stanton. "He is very competitive and forward thinking. I asked him not to be just a caretaker, but to be aggressive, and don't sit still."
   Mullins came to Johnson City 15-years ago as head tennis coach, and Mullins has grown to love the Tri-Cities area saying, "In my 16 years at ETSU, I have developed a passion for this university as a whole, and for the athletics department. I consider myself one of the biggest fans of all our sports.
   "I am excited about the opportunity to continue what Todd Stansbury has put into place here. We have great coaches here and this opportunity has taken me from a very enjoyable job, to a very demanding one. The challenges are enjoyable -- the hard work the fun part -- and having winning programs is the icing on the cake."
   Recruiting athletes from around the world, Mullins has worked to mold his teams into winners both on the court and in the classroom. He has coached 28 All-SoCon players and has had numerous ITA nationally and regionally ranked players.
   Mullins has won two SoCon titles (1999, 2002) and his team has played in the NCAA Championships as well as earning All-America Academic honors. Mullins 2002-03 squad has posted an impressive 3.9 grade-point-average.
   As far as the 'interim' tag, Mullins said: "We have discussed a long term stay. Over the next few months we will evaluate if this is something I want to continue to do. I hope the emphasis will be on director and not interim."