North Greenville University

North Greenville University named Will Lowrey as the institution's new Director of Athletics, effective June 1, 2024. Lowrey moved to NGU from Blue Mountain Christian University, where he served as Athletic Director since June 2018.

Lowrey has set forth as the vision for the NGU Athletic Department to be the standard for how Christian institutions compete and win championships. In Lowrey's first year at NGU, the department won the Dr. Alan Patterson Cup representing Body, Mind, and Soul for just the second time in school history.  The award is the ultimate comprehensive conference annual award. The award recognizes the member institution with the best average ranking when combining the Hawn Cup, the Sharp Award and the Messick Award. It is named after the former Conference Carolinas Commissioner who served 32 years as the Commissioner of Conference Carolinas before retiring after the 2018-19 academic year.
 
In his role with NGU, Lowrey oversees the university's NCAA Division II intercollegiate athletic program, which includes 20 varsity sports teams, with 575 student-athletes. 
 
Lowrey has directed a program with 18 varsity sports at Blue Mountain Christian. The private university in Blue Mountain, MS, is affiliated with the Mississippi Baptist Convention. Before joining Blue Mountain Christian, he was head baseball coach and director of development at Tupelo Christian Preparatory School in Tupelo, MS, for eight years.
 
The Tupelo, MS, native, earned a bachelor's degree in business administration from Delta State University in 1999. He completed a master's degree in intercollegiate athletic administration from Western Kentucky University in 2016, and currently is pursuing a Doctor of Ministry Degree at North Greenville University. 
 
A varsity baseball player in college, Lowrey worked with sports-related companies in Mississippi for a decade before moving to coaching and athletics administration. He founded The Bigger Than Ball Foundation in 2016 and continues to serve as president of the foundation, which has a stated mission to "encourage and equip coaches to step back from their rigorous schedule to re-energize and reflect."
 
 
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What Others Are Saying About Will Lowrey Joining North Greenville University
 
Throughout Will Lowrey's tenure as intercollegiate athletic director at Blue Mountain Christian University, he has led and served with a consistent commitment to Christ-centered excellence. This commitment has inspired and enabled coaches and student-athletes alike. We are grateful for his service to BMCU and wish him much success as he begins a new chapter at North Greenville University.
– Dr. Barbara McMillin, President, Blue Mountain Christian University
 
"Knowing Will Lowrey over the past 15 years has made me a better man. Will is a man of character and integrity as I have seen first-hand what godly leadership looks like. We have served together at a school, through multiple ministries and I even had the opportunity to see Will serve families using his God-given gifts in the aftermath of multiple natural disasters. Congratulations to Will and NGU as I believe this will be a great union."
– Stephen Tybor III, President/Founder, Eight Days of Hope
 
"Will is a proven championship coach, program builder, and leader. His faith has led him to have great vision that provides an amazing human touch." 
– Butch Thompson, Head Baseball Coach, Auburn University
 
"Congratulations to NGU on the hiring of Will Lowrey! Will is an outstanding leader, brings a wealth of experience, and will have an immediate positive impact on everyone associated with the department. There are great days ahead for all involved."
– Jeremy McClain, Athletic Director, University of Southern Mississippi
 
"I am very impressed with Will's genuine heart, his expectations for athletics, connecting with university departments and the community, and moving forward in all we do. He shows the genuine ability to provide mentorship for coaches to grow as godly leaders of our student-athletes, our university, and our community."
– Jeff Farrington, NGU Head Football Coach
 
"Coach Lowrey has worked from the bottom up in a Christian education and athletics setting. He demonstrates that he is a person who would roll up his sleeves and get to work. Will is someone who our coaches can connect with, and he has a heart for serving not only student-athletes but the entire community."
– Kelvin Long, NGU Head Women's Basketball Coach
 
"Will's ability to connect with the coaches and get us excited for the next chapter in NGU Athletics is impressive. I believe he is going to be driven, competitive, and dedicated – all while keeping our Christ-first mission at the forefront of everything that we do."
– Corey Struss, NGU Head Men's Lacrosse Coach