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Brandon Leimbach announced as new Athletic Director
President Tom Stritikus announced Brandon Leimbach as the new Athletic Director for Skyhawks Athletics.
“Our student athletes and coaching staff are dedicated to success and extremely hard-working,” says Stritikus. “Brandon’s experience will provide great guidance as we work to a build upon this culture of success for FLC athletics.”
Brandon Leimbach currently serves as Director of Development for the Buff Club, the fundraising arm of the University of Colorado Athletics in Boulder.
“I look forward to providing a world-class and holistic student-athlete experience, engaging the local Durango community, consistently competing for and winning championships, and working tirelessly to help prepare all Skyhawks student-athletes for a lifetime of achievement beyond collegiate athletics,” says Leimbach.
Leimbach has been with the Buff Club since February of 2018, working to cultivate and steward major gift contributors throughout Colorado and Southern California to support CU’s world-class student-athlete experience. Leimbach has secured numerous gifts to advance student-athlete welfare initiatives including mental health, leadership and career development, scholarship support and sport specific excellence funds.
Prior to joining the Buff Club, Leimbach spent three years at Learfield as Senior Manager, Business Development for Buffalo Sports Properties where he managed a list of nationally recognized corporate partners. He was responsible for the management of Ralphie’s Green Stampede, the nation’s first NCAA Division I Sports Sustainability program and was proud to help Buffalo Sports Properties earn the Learfield “Property of The Year” award in 2016-2017. He exceeded his goal for two consecutive years and the third year he earned membership into the prestigious Lucky 7 Club, awarded to the first seven sellers in the entire company to reach their goal out of 500 plus sellers.
Leimbach also served as Director of Athletics at NCAA Division II Dominican University of California from 2013-2015 and led the Penguins to their highest finish in the PacWest Commissioner’s Cup standings. Stressing academic excellence, Leimbach saw Dominican win the PacWest Academic Achievement Award with a record setting 3.41 GPA with all twelve varsity sports obtaining a 3.0 GPA or higher. He secured the funding and managed the construction of Penguin Field, the home of Dominican softball, and oversaw the funding, design, and renovation of the Strength and Conditioning Center and secured partnerships for new Daktronics scoreboards in Conlan Gym and Penguin Field.
Leimbach joined Dominican from Colorado School of Mines, where he served as Associate Director of Athletics from 2002-2013. His role in the leadership of Mines’ 18 intercollegiate sports grew significantly during his tenure. He managed the department’s development efforts, facilities, budget, game management, summer camps, and served as the sports administrator for football, men’s and women’s basketball, wrestling, and baseball. He was the project coordinator for the $21 million clear creek athletics complex and was instrumental in the developing the $26 million Student Recreation Center and Lockridge Arena.
Prior to his arrival at Mines in 2002, Leimbach spent two years at University of California, Irvine as the Assistant Director of Recreational Sports. He also worked at the University of Notre Dame for a one-year stint as the Intramural Sports Director and served as a Graduate Assistant in Athletics at Saint Mary’s College of California where he earned his bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology and his master’s degree in athletic administration where he played both football and rugby.
A native of Southern California, Leimbach is a member of the Fountain Valley High School Sports Hall of Fame in Football and Basketball and was named FVHS’s Male Student-Athlete of The Year as a senior in 1994.
“My family and are I excited to join the Fort Lewis community,” says Leimbach. “The opportunity to help shape the future vision of Skyhawks Athletics is an honor, and I am grateful to President Stritikus and the search committee for their confidence in my experience and enthusiasm to lead a premier NCAA Division II athletics department.”
Leimbach will start in his new position as FLC Athletic Director on June 3. Follow him on Twitter @SkyhawksAD.
Athletics Staffing & Consultants of Ft. Myers, Florida facilitated the national search, in addition to an FLC search committee.