Director of Athletics

Deb Steward

Deb Steward was appointed the director of William Smith athletics on Aug. 1, 2005. In a relatively short period of time, she has made a significant impact on the lives of William Smith student-athletes.

As athletics director, Steward oversees all aspects of William Smith’s intercollegiate athletic program, including its direction, development, scheduling, facilities, and financial management.

Additionally, Steward supervises the Sport and Recreation Center, the Outdoor Recreation Adventure Program, the waterfront, and the wellness program.

During her tenure, Steward has served as the tournament director for the 2006 NCAA Division III Field Hockey Championship and the 2007 NCAA Division III Women's Lacrosse Championship. She hired three new head coaches, broke Heron Society records for total membership and total dollars raised, and coordinated a highly successful Heron Hall of Honor ceremony, all while taking a lead role in the The Fund for Athletics, a part of the Campaign for the Colleges.

In the fall of 2005, Steward was inducted into the Stevens Point Area Senior High Athletic Hall of Fame.

Steward joined the Herons following three years as an assistant athletic director at Ithaca College. The senior woman administrator for the Bombers, she managed the budget for 25 intercollegiate varsity athletic programs and supervised as many as 15 sports, overseeing the coaching staffs, event management, and compliance. Steward coordinated the use of the college’s indoor and outdoor facilities, and served as the coordinator of the Bombers’ on-campus postseason competition.

Prior to her arrival in the Empire State, Steward spent eight years at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. With the Blugolds, she served in many roles: assistant soccer coach, lecturer in the Kinesiology Department, assistant and head softball coach, senior woman administrator, business manager, and assistant athletics director. During her two seasons as head coach of the Eau Claire softball team, she guided the Blugold to a 54-33-1 record, the 2000 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championship, the 2000 NCAA Division III Great Lakes Region Championship, and a fourth place finish in the NCAA championship.

Steward began her professional career at St. Mary’s (Minn.) University. She coached basketball, softball, and volleyball for the Cardinals, coordinated the athletics department’s recruiting, and was an instructor in the physical education department. In 1994, Steward was named the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Association Softball Coach of the Year.

A 1990 graduate of Winona State (Minn.) University with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics education, Steward was a four-year letterwinner in both softball and volleyball for the Warriors. She earned a master’s degree in education from Eau Claire in 1996.