In Keith’s 16 years as the Director of Athletics, The College of Wooster thrived in every aspect.  National prominence was achieved in Men’s Basketball (Division III Final Four twice) and Baseball (Division III World Series twice), and Swimming & Diving, Men’s Lacrosse, Track & Field, and Football all also made their mark at the NCAA Championships.  Numerous NCAC Team Championships were won and ten Fighting Scots were awarded the prestigious NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship.  Thirty-two Scots were named as CoSIDA Academic All-America, and Wooster had one NCAA Woman of the Year Finalist.

 

Dr. Beckett has set the standard for innovation in many areas.  Under Beckett's leadership, Wooster became one of the first NCAA Division III institutions to establish an administrative position committed to diversity and inclusion and a departmental diversity and inclusion committee was formed.  The College experienced a period of growth through sport additions, all of Wooster's head coaches were advanced to full-time, coaching and recruiting support for women's varsity sports increased through the addition of several full-time assistants, and facility scheduling and purchasing protocols were developed.  Beckett led the effort to establish the department as a leader in the "It's On Us" movement aimed at taking a stand against sexual violence, including prevention and response.

 

Other significant achievements under Beckett's watch include authoring of an NCAA Ethnic Minorities and Women's Internship Grant as well as an NCAA Strategic Alliance Matching Grant.  He also collaborated with the development office and W Association leadership on a number of revenue generation initiatives including the establishment of the Fighting Scots Fund to ensure equitable support for all student-athletes and varsity programs.

 

Several facility additions and renovations took place under Keith’s leadership, most notably the $30 million Scot Center, which opened in January 2012. Recently, the Armington Physical Education Center, which houses Timken Gymnasium and Timken Natatorium, underwent a $5 million renovation, while a $1.6 million project to renovate and expand women’s locker room facilities and add an all-gender locker room was completed. Additionally, an artificial surface was added to Art Murray Field and John P. Papp Stadium, while lights were added to the latter, Swigart Strength Center was renovated, and a new press box and scoreboard were added at softball.

 

Keith has served as a consultant in a variety of capacities throughout his professional career – most notably when he traveled to Cairo, Egypt, as a consultant for the American University in Cairo, advising officials from the university on physical education, athletic programming, and facility operations.  He has provided a wide array of professional development and personal programming aimed at staff and student-athletes. Beckett has successfully managed and been actively involved in a wide variety of searches for administrators, coaches, faculty, and executive level positions.  Beckett has also been a member of the NCAA Division III Strategic Planning and Finance Committee and has presented on numerous topics at industry conventions, including recruiting, mentorship, assessment, and program evaluation.  Beckett has done extensive research on leadership, consulting with numerous administrators, coaches, and industry leaders across the country.

 

From 1984-03, Beckett developed the Fighting Scots' swimming program into one of the best in Division III. During his 19-year run as coach, the programs collectively turned in a remarkable 253-73-1 record in dual meets.  He guided his programs to 16 top ten finishes at the NCAA Championships.  Beckett's student-athletes earned 182 All-America certificates during his tenure, while claiming a national championship in the 50 freestyle.  The Scots also logged 12 runner-up finishes at the NCAA Championships.

 

Beckett has been the director for numerous NCAA Championships and served as meet coordinator for several other championships. In addition, Keith has served as host for many NCAA post-season tournaments, managing all planning and operational aspects of the event.  He was a member of the NCAA Rules and Championship Committee, including the chair in 2001-02.  In the summer of 2021, Beckett will serve as the Deck Logistics Chair for the U.S. Olympic Swimming Team Trials.

 

Keith has B.S. and M.S. degrees from Indiana University of PA (IUP) and a Ph.D. from the University of Pittsburgh.

 

Keith welcomes the opportunity to share EMP’s resources to help empower and inspire you to achieve excellence through personalized solution-based services.