Athletic department welcomes new faculty, staff members

The Sam Houston State University athletics announced new changes for the athletic department, according to gobearkats.com.

Brandt Kieschnick will no lead the golf team, Paul Ridings will be the new associate athletic director, and Terrence Rencher will be the new assistant men’s basketball coach.

Kieschnick graduated from SHSU as a four-time All-Southland performer and twice conference “Golfer of the Year.”

Kieschnick has served as first assistant golf professional at Whispering Pines Golf Club in Trinity. His duties at the club included managing the golf operation; hired, trained and scheduled a staff of 30; conducted tournaments; served as a golf instructor and played PGA events.

Prior to working at the club, Kieschnick was the assistant golf coach at SHSU for two seasons from 2003-2005.

Kieschnick is a PGA professional who played four years as a touring pro following his graduation from SHSU. He was in the Tight Lies Tour, Hooters Tour, Nationwide tour, qualified for the 2006 and 2010 PGA National Assistants’  Championship and participated in the PGA Tour Qualifying School three times.

"Sam Houston State is extremely fortunate to hire an individual with playing experience at a high level and knowledge of the history and success of the Bearkat golf program," director of SHSU athletics Bobby Williams said. "Brandt Kieschnick fits that high level of experience. We're excited to welcome him back."

Kieschnick is one of only three men golfers in SHSU sports history to earn All-Southland Conference honors each of his four years of competition (1996-1999).

Kieschnick will officially begin his new job on on August 1. He replaces Ronnie Choate who started the Bearkat golf program in 1961-62, retired in 1993-94 then returned to coach the program in 2007-08.

Ridings has been the director of the SHSU sports information department since July 1989.

Ridings oversaw the athletic department’s public relations activities, coordinated athletic publications, publicity, the athletic department website and statistical reporting to the SLC and the NCAA, during his 23 years at SHSU.

Before joining the Bearkat staff in 1989, Ridings served as assistant athletic director at Southern Utah State (1988-89), associate sports information director at SMU (1980-88), public relations director for the Dallas Tornado Soccer Team (1976-79), and sports information director at Trinity University (1971-75).

Rencher comes from Tulsa where he helped direct the Golden Hurricane to a 17-14 overall record and a third-place finish in the 2012 Conference USA race.

"We're excited to be able to hire such a quality individual whose basketball background speaks for itself. Terrence brings a wealth of experience to Sam Houston State," head basketball coach Jason Hooten said. "The leading all-time scorer for his alma mater, an NBA draft pick and playing professionally both in the NBA and in Europe - those all are wonderful experiences that he will bring to our basketball program. He will be a tremendous asset for Bearkat basketball."

Rencher is a University of Texas graduate where he was the all-time scoring leader at UT where he scored 2,306 career points and ranks sixth in career assists (440). As a freshman, he was named Dick Vitale’s National Freshman of the Year and the Southwest Conference Freshman of the year in 1992. His senior year ended where he was named as an all-conference selection in 1995.

During his career in the NBA, Rencher played point guard for for the Miami Heat and Phoenix Suns in 1995-96 and for the Florida Beach Dogs and Grand Rapids Hoops of the Continental Basketball Association form 1996-97. During his career in Europe from 1997 to 2006 Rancher was named “Most Valuable Player” in Italy and Germany and was a part of All Star team selections in Italy, Germany, Croatia and Israel.

Before Tulsa, Rencher coached two seasons as an assistant at Texas State University and was a graduate assistant under Rick Majerus at Saint Louis University.

After graduating college, Rencher was the 32 overall selection in the 1995 NBA draft by the Washington Bullets and played one season in the NBA with Miami and Phoenix.