Every two years, Piedmont takes on new graduate assistants to assist professors and coaches. This year, in the athletic department, there are seven new graduate assistants who are quite happy with their new positions here on the campus of the green and gold.

Assisting the head men’s and women’s tennis team and Coach Shane Wood is PC alumni Moses Das. Das is no stranger to Piedmont, graduating last year with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration with a concentration in sports marketing. Das returned to Piedmont to attain his Masters of Business Administration.

This is Das’ first year as a graduate assistant, but prior to coming to Piedmont for his MBA, he worked as a private tennis instructor in Atlanta. There, he worked with 250 youth tennis players focusing on fundamentals of the sport and team building skills.

“I love it,” said Das about working as a graduate assistant. “I think the athletic department is top notch and has a good sports program.”

Melody Tenney is the new women’s volleyball graduate assistant. Tenney brings a “decorated” coaching and playing career with her to Piedmont from Florida. For the last year, Tenney spent her time as a head coach with both Orlando Volleyball Academy and Victory Christian Academy in Florida.

“Coach Sid Feldman is a legend in volleyball,” said Tenney. “I wanted to come to a program that was good in training volleyball. Plus, the facilities are nice.”

This is Tenney’s sixth season coaching volleyball.

“I’ve coached all ages except college level,” said Tenney. “I hope to get a head coaching position when I finish here.”

Danny Ives, coming all the way from Manchester, England, is the assisting head men’s lacrosse Coach Pete Mandero. Ives was an assistant coach last year at his alma mater Lees-McRae College in North Carolina where he attained his Bachelor of Science in Sports Management with a minor in Business.

Ives said he is impressed by Piedmont’s facilities and that they have a good program.

“They look up to the students here and they have everything they need to succeed,” he said. “Plus, there’s good support from the administration.”

Also joining Mandero’s men’s lacrosse team is Kevin Shupp from Cranford, N.J. Just one year after graduating from Alvernia University in Reading, Pennsylvania, Shupp began his first year here at Piedmont as a graduate assistant. Shupp received his Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice and will be pursuing his MBA at Piedmont.

“I mainly work with the goalie and the defense because I played those positions in college,” said Shupp. “I think the athletic department is run very well. All sports get their fair share of the department’s attention, not only lacrosse.”

Lauren Davis will be assisting head women’s lacrosse Coach Emily Jacquette.

Davis came to Piedmont after a four-year playing career at Edinboro University in Pennsylvania.

Similar to Jacquette, Davis helped build the women’s lacrosse program at Edinboro as a member of the first recruiting class in spring of 2009.

Davis was named an Academic Honoree by Edinboro and also served as President of the Student-Athletic Advisory Committee (SAAC) from 2010 to 2012. Over the summers of 2011 and 2012, Davis picked up coaching experience that she brought along with her to Piedmont.

Davis earned her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in financial administration. Davis is originally from Columbus, Ohio and is currently pursuing her MBA here at Piedmont.

“I hope to one day become a lacrosse coach,” said Davis.

Kicking it over to the soccer program, joining head men’s Coach Jimmy Stephens is Shane McKay. McKay is a native of Sheffield, England and has earned his Bachelor of Business Administration in marketing degree at Georgia Southwestern after spending two years at Truett-McConnell College.

McKay is all about the experience when it comes to his future.

“My goal is to become a college head coach and gain more experience,” he said. “The athletic department here is fantastic. It’s one of the best in the region and close knit, which you don’t get at most colleges.”

Joining the women’s soccer team staff is Stephanie Kirvan, assisting head coach Stephen Andrew.

Kirvan is from Ozarks, Miss. and earned her Bachelor of Science in Educational Studies with a minor in coaching at William Woods University in Fulton, Miss. While assisting Andrew, Kirvan will be pursuing her MBA here at Piedmont.

This past spring, Kirvan spent time coaching with the Southern Boone High School serving as an assistant coach.

“I really liked the business program and everyone was just so inviting,” said Kirvan. “Also, the head coach I believe in all of the things he does with the soccer program here and I wanted to be a part of it.”