CHARLESTON, Ill. – Eastern Illinois athletic director Barbara Burke has announced the hiring of two new athletic staff members and the promotion of one coach. The new hires include Ryan Gilmore and Kathryn McCormick, while EIU women’s basketball assistant Lee Buchanan was given a promotion.
Gilmore was hired as the Panthers Director of Marketing and Promotions and will join the staff in late July. He will be responsible for all of EIU’s corporate sales along with the marketing and promotion efforts of the Panthers 21-sport intercollegiate program. Most recently he worked as a marketing/game management assistant at Idaho State University. Gilmore also worked for one year with Nike as the lead supervisor for Nike SPARQ. A 2003 graduate of Southern Oregon University, Gilmore also holds a masters degree from Idaho State.
McCormick was hired as an athletic trainer that will work directly with volleyball and women’s basketball. Her start date is also set for late July. She has worked the previous two years as a graduate assistant trainer at Southern Illinois University working with the Salukis softball and swimming teams. As an undergraduate she attended the University of Illinois working as a student trainer for the Illini men’s basketball team. McCormick holds degrees from Illinois and SIU and is a licensed athletic trainer.
Buchanan was recently promoted to Associated Head Coach for the Eastern Illinois women’s basketball team. He just finished his first season with the Panthers helping coach the team to a 19-win campaign, second place finish in the Ohio Valley Conference and appearance in the OVC Tournament Championship game. Buchanan is a graduate of Murray State University and previously served as the head coach at Pfeiffer University, Francis-Marion University and Brescia College prior to joining the Panthers staff. He led FMU to three straight NCAA Division II Tournament appearances.