General | 8/27/2015 4:00:00 PM

DETROIT -- Wayne State University Director of Athletics Rob Fournier announced today the hiring of Theresa Arist as Athletics Chief of Staff.

"Theresa's background as a coach and administrator is the perfect complement for this vital position," said Fournier.  "Her enthusiasm, work habits and good humor were clearly evident qualities.  In addition, I have great respect for the athletic directors she has worked with in the past and that endorsement was essential in getting a proven, successful leader.  That range of experience is vital in a position with so many varied responsibilities.

"I am deeply honored and excited to join the WSU community and athletics department," commented Arist.  "I would like to thank Director of Athletics Rob Fournier and the search committee for giving me this opportunity. I look forward to working with the dedicated and hard-working coaches and staff at WSU who are focused on providing the student-athletes a positive experience and giving them the means to succeed here at WSU and beyond."

Arist has spent the last three years as the Director of Athletics at Nardin Academy in Buffalo, New York, where she oversaw 41 teams, 60 coaches, 740 student-athletes and five part-time staff members.  She helped lead a committee in the establishment of an Athletics Hall of Fame and created a structured athletics program with a strategic vision.
 
Prior to her appointment at the Nardin Academy, Arist served six years as the Associate Director of Athletics and Senior Woman Administrator at Division I Niagara University.  While with the Purple Eagles, she led 13 sport programs and 10 coaches along with a Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) of 40.  In addition, she established and administered the inaugural women's golf program at NU.  Arist implemented a successful "Life After Sports" educational program serving upperclass student-athletes.
 
She began her administrative career at Walsh University in North Canton, Ohio, where she spent eight seasons as the head women's basketball coach and seven years as an Assistant Athletic Director and Senior Woman Administrator.  She led five basketball teams to post-season play, coached several All-Americans and led her 2004 team to a 20-win season.

As a collegiate student-athlete, Arist graduated as Grove City College's second-leading career scorer with 1,347 points. She was a two-time First Team All-Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) selection after earning Second Team honors following her sophomore campaign. Arist was inducted into the Grove City College Athletic Hall of Fame in 2010.  Last Fall, she was named to the PAC 60th Anniversary Team for women's basketball.
 
After earning her bachelor's degree in social science/secondary education from GCC in 1993, Arist spent one year as the junior varsity head coach and assistant varsity girls basketball coach at Nordonia High School in Macedonia, Ohio.
 
The following season she was an assistant women's basketball coach at Heidelberg University in Tiffin, Ohio, before taking the assistant women's basketball coaching position in addition to the head women's track coach job at Grove City College.  While at GCC, she earned a master's degree in Sports Administration from Slippery Rock University in 1997.
 
Arist also graduated from the NACWAA/HERS Institute for Administrative Advancement in 2004.
 
A native of  Northeast Ohio, Arist was a three-sport athlete at Cuyahoga Falls High School.