Peru, Nebraska – Dr. Michael Evans, President of Peru State College, has announced that Kyle Pond will be the new Athletic Director. Pond, the current Associate Athletic Director, will take over for Wayne Albury. Albury will step down June 30, 2023, and focus on his duties as the Bobcats head baseball coach.
Pond is a former college athlete and soccer coach. His success as Head Men’s Soccer Coach at Southwestern College in Winfield, Kansas from 2015-2020 led to a request for him to become the college’s Associate Athletic Director in December of 2020. His focus on recruiting, retention, team development, and improved academic performance helped the college achieve record recruiting classes and greater success in several sports. Pond joined Peru State in January of 2022.
“It has been a goal of mine to be the Athletic Director at Peru State,” said Pond. “The timeline happened quicker than I expected, but Wayne helped prepare me for this transition by involving me in the day-to-day activities of the Athletic Department since day one.”
Administration had not been part of Pond’s original plan.
“My original plan was to be a head coach until I was 70,” said Pond. “When the Associate AD position (at Southwestern College) was presented to me by my mentor Dean Clark, I thought I would miss coaching, but I have found this new career path to be extremely rewarding.”
Coaching stints prior to Southwestern included assistant positions at Sterling College and Bethany College, both in Kansas. Those positions were with Head Coach Jeff Kidd, another important mentor. Pond has a deep appreciation for the mentoring and support he has received throughout his career. He is also thankful for his great relationship with President Michael Evans and support from the entire Peru State administrative team.
“I have a video of President Evans jumping in the huddle after a basketball win,” said Pond, “where else do you see that? The support from the administration at Peru State is incredible and creates building blocks to enhance and modernize our program.”
Pond identified that it is a pivotal time for Peru State College and noted several improvements within the athletic department: the hiring of several great new coaches over the past year, the retaining of excellent veteran coaches that provide leadership and a connection to tradition, work on facilities, Project ROAR, graduation numbers, and the establishment of a winning foundation.
“Winning is an outcome,” said Pond, “and a result of strong leadership, coaches who care about the student athletes, and attention to the process of becoming better coaches, players, and people. We hope to create something sustainable and genuine that creates growth, makes alumni want to return to campus, and is a place where coaches want to stay, and players want to play.”
He views passion and opportunity as core elements of the athletic department.
“The staff here share a lot of passion,” said Pond, “and Peru State offers student-athletes a great coaching staff, an institution that cares about them, and excellent facilities at a price point that exists at very few schools. This is the perfect place for students to have a high-quality experience without needing to mortgage their future in the process.”
Pond also understands his new role will involve many tough decisions.
“I want to make decisions for the future to provide consistency and enhance development,” said Pond. “Being good takes bold moves, risk, commitment, and creating an environment where it is okay to not be perfect but continue growing.”
“I am delighted that Kyle is stepping into the Athletic Director role for Peru State College,” said Evans. “He brings a strong background, exceptional leadership skills, and an excellent focus on academics, integrity, and success on the fields and the courts. I am confident that athletics will continue to thrive with Kyle at the helm.”
Pond holds a bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science from Sterling College. He and his wife, Jordan, have three daughters and live in Peru. He will officially begin his duties July 1, 2023.
Nestled in the hills of historic southeast Nebraska, Peru State College offers a mix of innovative online and traditional classroom undergraduate and graduate programs, including online graduate degrees in education and organizational management.
Established in 1867 as Nebraska’s first college, Peru State has transformed over the past century and a half into a state-of-the-art institution offering diverse, multifaceted educational programs annually to nearly 2,000 students.