Wendell Staton was named Director of Athletics at Georgia College & State University in the fall of 2009. Staton is relationship centered and well known for his positive and contagious enthusiasm and is relentless in pursuing a welcoming and positive culture that puts the best interest of the student-athlete at the core of the decision-making process. Centered around the balance of pursuing academic, social, and athletic excellence, this holistic approach has led to the moniker of “Graduating Champions for Life.”
Under his watch, GCSU has consistently been a national leader NCAA graduation rates. Bobcat student-athletes have achieved the highest Academic Success Rate in the country for NCAA Division II public universities for three consecutive years. The department has produced nine GCSU valedictorians over the past nine years and have set and re-set school records in student-athlete Grade Point Average. Ten student-athletes have been named Academic All-America and three have been named PBC student-athlete of the Year.
Athletic success has included one PBC Commissioner’s Cup award which represents the top athletic program on the field of play. The Bobcats enjoy routine advancement into NCAA post season play. During one six-year span between 2013-18, GCSU spring programs (baseball, golf, softball, men’s tennis, & women’s tennis) advanced to NCAA play 26 times out of 30 possible opportunities. Additionally, women’s basketball, men’s basketball, and volleyball have all made NCAA postseason appearances. Men’s and women’s cross country have also sent their first individual runners to participate at the NCAA National Championships. In 2013, Staton brought volleyball to GCSU as the 11th NCAA program. In the fifth year of existence, GCSU volleyball advanced to the first of back-to-back NCAA tournament appearances. Georgia College teams are routinely in the national Top 25 rankings and Southeast region rankings.
GCSU emphasizes sportsmanship and has been recognized as the recipient of the Peach Belt Conference Institution of the Year for Sportsmanship three times over the last six years. Men’s and women’s basketball, volleyball, men’s and women’s Tennis, and golf have all been recognized by their peers in this area.
Bobcat student-athletes have led efforts with the Make-A-Wish Foundation and have been amongst the national leaders in funds raised and have been able to host “wish reveals” on campus. The GCSU Student-Athlete Advisory Committee has also earned the PBC SAAC Challenge Award three times.
Staton believes that Georgia College student-athletes participate in the best “Leadership Lab” on campus. The department has put great emphasis on leadership development as the growth of coaches leads to the growth of students. The Game Changers Leadership workshops has become a signature program of this philosophy. From community engagement activates, to guest speakers, to time tested leadership lessons from staff members outside of each program, Georgia College student-athletes have multiple opportunities for growth under the tutelage of their head coach.
With a hiring model that focuses first and foremost on character, four staff members have been named Coach of the Year by their PBC peers and six have led their programs to Sportsmanship recognition by their peers. Staton created the first Assistant AD role held by a female at Georgia College. Three former staff members have gone on to Assistant ADs/Senior Woman Administrators at the NCAA Division II level. Multiple coaches and administrators appear on NCAA Committees, as the department fosters a culture of learning and growth that encourages staff to engage in professional growth opportunities.
Staton has been a member of multiple NCAA Committees, including serving on the NCAA Implementation Committee. As one of 10 Athletic Directors across the country serving this cause, the Implementation Committee was charged with leading the division's work following the Association-wide vote on a new constitution. Staton served as the Chair of the NCAA Division II Men’s Basketball Committee. He also served as a member of the NCAA Division II Women’s Basketball Committee. He has served on the Regionalization Task Force, Military Pilot Committee, participated in the Cannabis in Collegiate Athletics Summit, and served as a mentor in the D2 ADA mentor program. He has also served as a mentor in the PBC SWA/mentor program.
Active throughout campus, Staton serves as the host/emcee for all Georgia College Parent Orientations as well as major Enrollment Management events, including Fall Fest and Spring Fest. A self-described “walking billboard” for Georgia College, Staton is visible throughout campus and the community. Staton is a member of the Milledgeville Rotary Club and served for as a board member for the Milledgeville Convention and Visitors Bureau. While in North Carolina he received the Governor’s Volunteer Service Award recognition for his volunteerism and was active on multiple boards.
Staton came to Georgia College from the University of North Carolina at Pembroke, in Pembroke, North Carolina, where he had served as Associate Vice Chancellor for Advancement from 2005-2009. While at UNCP, he was part of a team that set new fundraising records. Additionally, he was an integral part of the “First and Ten Campaign,” the campaign that brought football back to UNCP after being dormant for over fifty years.
Prior to his work in the advancement office at UNCP, Staton was the Director of Recreation and Parks in Lumberton, North Carolina, for three years. His initial assignment at UNCP was as a coach and faculty member in the Health, Physical Education and Recreation department. From 1996-2002, he served UNCP as assistant men’s basketball coach and head men’s golf voach, where he led UNCP to the first ever appearance in NCAA postseason play on the links. Staton had a prior stint at GC, having served as a men's basketball assistant coach from 1991-93 under head coach Mark Simons. He also coached the GCSU cross country teams for one year in 1992. Staton also spent time at Armstrong State University (now Georgia Southern University) , Elon University and Campbell University.
Staton was a basketball student-athlete at St. Andrews Presbyterian College in Laurinburg, North Carolina, where he earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1990. He added a Master of Education degree from Georgia College in 1993.
Residing in Milledgeville, Staton is married to the former Yvette Renaud, who teaches elementary school in Putnam County. They are the proud parents of a daughter, Ellen (Michael), and son, Charlie (Hali), and have been blessed with three grandchildren.
