Alverno College Names Brad Vanden Boogaard Director of Athletics

Brad Vanden Boogaard has been named Alverno College’s director of athletics and head golf coach, Vice President for Student Affairs Wendy Powers, Ph.D., announced Tuesday. In these roles, he will lead the athletics department’s recruitment and retention efforts, oversee operations and strategic growth, supervise all athletics personnel, and head the golf program. His appointment begins June 1.

Vanden Boogaard comes to Alverno from Clarendon College in Clarendon, Texas, where he served in a dual role as director of athletics for five teams and vice president of student affairs, an area encompassing enrollment, admissions, financial aid, advising, housing and activities.

“We are delighted that Brad is joining the Alverno Inferno family as our next athletic director and head golf coach,” said Powers, noting that the national search attracted highly qualified candidates. “Brad brings a wealth of experience as a coach and administrator and is committed to Division III athletics, bringing a true passion for ensuring that the student-athlete experience is educational and rewarding. I’m confident that, with Brad’s leadership, the Alverno Inferno Athletics program will grow and flourish.”

“I am truly humbled and honored to have the opportunity to lead Alverno College Athletics,” said Vanden Boogaard, a native of Kimberly, Wis. “I'm excited to focus full time on athletics because that is my true passion and am looking forward to working with the coaches, administration and student-athletes to build on the past and raise the level of success moving forward.”

At Clarendon, in addition to his duties as athletic director, Vanden Boogaard served as the head women’s and head men’s basketball coach. He developed student-athletes who moved on to play at the Division I, II, III and NAIA levels, as well developed several all-conference and all-academic team members. Vanden Boogaard has a commitment to recruiting student-athletes of character. From 2015-18, Clarendon’s athletic teams improved their overall GPA by almost three points.

Vanden Boogaard earned a Master of Arts in Physical Education and Athletic Administration from Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa. He and his wife, Julee, along with their son, are looking forward to moving back to Wisconsin.

About Alverno College Athletics

Alverno College is a member of the NCAA, Division III and of the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC). The Alverno Inferno was founded in 2000 and offers seven intercollegiate sports: basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, tennis and volleyball. Alverno’s athletics department is a nine-time winner of Cans Across the Conference, the NACC annual food drive competition.

About Alverno College

Alverno College promotes the academic, personal and professional development of its students in a collaborative and inclusive environment. Undergraduate programs for women are offered in more than 60 areas of study, and graduate programs in education, nursing, community psychology, school psychology, music therapy and business are open to women and men.

A leader in higher education innovation, Alverno has earned international accolades for its highly effective ability-based, assessment-as-learning approach to education, which emphasizes hands-on experience and develops in-demand skills. The college, Wisconsin’s first Hispanic-Serving Institution, ranks among the top schools in the Midwest for its commitment to undergraduate teaching and innovation by U.S. News & World Report. For the past two years, The Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education named Alverno the country’s most inspiring college.

Based in Milwaukee, Wis., Alverno College is a four-year independent, Catholic, liberal arts college.