Goshen, IN — Goshen College has hired current cross country head coach and Roman Gingerich Recreation-Fitness Center director Doug Yoder as interim athletic director, the institution announced Thursday.

Yoder, who is in his fourth year at the school in both functions, succeeds Ken Pletcher, who resigned as athletic director in late summer after accepting a position in the college’s development office (click here for related article).

Goshen College officials said that Yoder will serve in his new role as interim athletic director through the remainder of the 2007-2008 academic year. The institution will begin a national search for its next athletic director in early January.

“Doug brings a wealth of experience both in academics and athletics to this position, and that will serve him well as our interim athletic director,” said Bill Born, vice president of student life and dean of students at Goshen. “His familiarity with the dynamics of serving as the director of the rec-fitness center on campus will provide him with a very small learning curve in his new administrative role. We are confident that our athletic department will continue to flourish under his interim leadership.”

A 1977 Goshen College graduate, Yoder was hired as the head cross country coach and director of the Roman Gingerich Center in the fall of 2004. Prior to arriving to the college, Yoder served as an art teacher and cross country coach at nearby Goshen High School for 25 years.

Yoder received a master’s degree in art from Ball State University in 1984, also completing graduate studies at the University of St. Francis and Indiana University during that time.

“I’ve had an interest in athletic administration for quite some time, and that was a big draw for me coming here as director of the Roman Gingerich Center,” Yoder said. “This new role will give me a chance to get a feel for the athletic director position. I am fortunate to have an athletic department that is in great shape due to Ken’s great leadership. I am sure I will rely on Ken for guidance. I hope I can provide help to all the coaches in continuing to develop their programs to be the best they can possibly be during the next academic year.”

With Yoder’s new responsibilities, Goshen head baseball coach Josh Keister was appointed interim director of the Roman Gingerich Center, taking over the day to day operations of Goshen’s athletic facility. Roman Gingerich Center associate director Trish Yoder will retain her duties during the transition period.

“Doug will provide supervisory oversight to Josh Keister as interim director of the rec-fitness center,” Born said. “With the experienced people we have in place, we are comfortable that the transition will be relatively seamless.”

Born said that following a national search, he hopes the institution will have a new athletic director named by the start of the 2008-2009 school year.

“It’s our hope that our national search will be completed by July 1, 2008, and we will have our new athletic director in place by that date,” he said.