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Daytona State has a new athletic director for the first time in 34 years.
Longtime AD Will Dunne officially retired on June 30 after first joining the Falcons’ staff in 1988. Four years later, Dunne became Daytona State’s athletic director and held the position from 1992 until Tuesday.
When Dunne took over, the Falcons only offered men’s basketball and softball. He led an expansion campaign over more than three decades that’s seen Daytona State add 11 athletic programs: men’s and women’s cross country, men’s and women’s soccer, men’s and women’s esports, baseball, women’s basketball, women’s volleyball, flag football and women’s golf.
During Dunne’s tenure, the Falcons won 12 women’s golf titles, back-to-back women’s soccer championships in 2024 and 2025 and three consecutive NJCAA esports titles from 2024-26 in the video game, Rocket League.
After 34 years of success, Dunne’s focus will now shift away from athletics.
“I think this whole run has just been a blessing. I've just got so much gratitude for the great people that entrusted me in the role and gave me the opportunity many years ago,” Dunne told the Daytona Beach News-Journal. “... People will say, ‘Well, there’s never really a right time,’ and maybe there’s not, but there has to be a time, right? I just felt like I’m not getting any younger, and I want to spend more time with my family, and I got a bunch of grandkids now, and things we want to do.”
Daytona State stayed in house for Dunne’s successor, promoting associate athletic director Alison Mohr.
Mohr has spent 28 years as a Falcon, beginning as an intern in the athletics department in 1998. She’s held various roles for Daytona State under Dunne as an athletic specialist (1999-2004), aquatics and athletic coordinator (2004-07), assistant softball coach (2000-2005) and co-head coach of the softball team (2009-10).
A reorganization of the Falcons’ athletic department in 2007 led Mohr to work as the coordinator of academics, compliance and reporting until 2021, when she took over as associate athletic director.
A Daytona Beach native, Mohr will now head the school’s athletic programs.
“I think I’ve been around and doing this for so long, and Will, thankfully, has always allowed me to kind of take on things that I wanted to take on and allowed me to really, really grow while having his mentorship and leadership. So, I feel ready,” Mohr said. “... So, while it’s new, and it’s going to be weird not to have him here, I feel like I’m pretty ready and seasoned at this point.”
Mohr’s promotion, which also includes an appointment as the dean of Daytona State’s School of Health and Wellness, has been in the works as a “succession plan” for “a year or more,” Dunne said, since he gave the school notice of his intention to retire.
“I think if you plan correctly, and you know you have the support of the board and the senior administration to do things the right way … if that’s in place and everyone’s drawing in the same direction, and you pass off the baton, it’s not hard to do because you feel good about it,” Dunne said.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Daytona State AD Will Dunne retires after 34 years, associate AD promoted
Continue reading...
Longtime AD Will Dunne officially retired on June 30 after first joining the Falcons’ staff in 1988. Four years later, Dunne became Daytona State’s athletic director and held the position from 1992 until Tuesday.
When Dunne took over, the Falcons only offered men’s basketball and softball. He led an expansion campaign over more than three decades that’s seen Daytona State add 11 athletic programs: men’s and women’s cross country, men’s and women’s soccer, men’s and women’s esports, baseball, women’s basketball, women’s volleyball, flag football and women’s golf.
During Dunne’s tenure, the Falcons won 12 women’s golf titles, back-to-back women’s soccer championships in 2024 and 2025 and three consecutive NJCAA esports titles from 2024-26 in the video game, Rocket League.
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After 34 years of success, Dunne’s focus will now shift away from athletics.
“I think this whole run has just been a blessing. I've just got so much gratitude for the great people that entrusted me in the role and gave me the opportunity many years ago,” Dunne told the Daytona Beach News-Journal. “... People will say, ‘Well, there’s never really a right time,’ and maybe there’s not, but there has to be a time, right? I just felt like I’m not getting any younger, and I want to spend more time with my family, and I got a bunch of grandkids now, and things we want to do.”
Daytona State stayed in house for Dunne’s successor, promoting associate athletic director Alison Mohr.
Mohr has spent 28 years as a Falcon, beginning as an intern in the athletics department in 1998. She’s held various roles for Daytona State under Dunne as an athletic specialist (1999-2004), aquatics and athletic coordinator (2004-07), assistant softball coach (2000-2005) and co-head coach of the softball team (2009-10).
A reorganization of the Falcons’ athletic department in 2007 led Mohr to work as the coordinator of academics, compliance and reporting until 2021, when she took over as associate athletic director.
You must be registered for see images attach
A Daytona Beach native, Mohr will now head the school’s athletic programs.
“I think I’ve been around and doing this for so long, and Will, thankfully, has always allowed me to kind of take on things that I wanted to take on and allowed me to really, really grow while having his mentorship and leadership. So, I feel ready,” Mohr said. “... So, while it’s new, and it’s going to be weird not to have him here, I feel like I’m pretty ready and seasoned at this point.”
Mohr’s promotion, which also includes an appointment as the dean of Daytona State’s School of Health and Wellness, has been in the works as a “succession plan” for “a year or more,” Dunne said, since he gave the school notice of his intention to retire.
“I think if you plan correctly, and you know you have the support of the board and the senior administration to do things the right way … if that’s in place and everyone’s drawing in the same direction, and you pass off the baton, it’s not hard to do because you feel good about it,” Dunne said.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Daytona State AD Will Dunne retires after 34 years, associate AD promoted
Continue reading...
