Ryan Kiel has been named Eastern Florida State College’s Associate Director of Athletics, college President Dr. Jim Richey and Associate Vice President of Athletics Jeff Carr announced on Thursday. (EFSC Image)
BREVARD COUNTY • MELBOURNE, FLORIDA – Ryan Kiel has been named Eastern Florida State College’s Associate Director of Athletics, college President Dr. Jim Richey and Associate Vice President of Athletics Jeff Carr announced on Thursday.
Kiel, of Viera, joined Eastern Florida as assistant athletic director in November, 2013.
Kiel joined Eastern Florida from the Pulaski Mariners, the Appalachian League affiliate of Major League Baseball’s Seattle Mariners in Pulaski, Virginia.
Kiel earned his undergraduate degree from Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia where he also was a four-year letter winner in baseball. Following his senior season at Marshall, the Seattle Mariners drafted Kiel in the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft. Kiel played two seasons in the Mariners organization and one in the Cincinnati Reds organization before an injury ended his career.
After his playing career, Kiel spent time at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida working in the baseball business office focused on their academy, post-graduate and professional athlete programs. Shortly after his time at IMG, he made the jump to a front office position in Minor League Baseball as the General Manager of the Pulaski Mariners.
Under Kiel, the Pulaski Mariners finished the season with the best record in the Appalachian Baseball League and eventually went on to win the Appalachian League Championship for the first time in 21 years.
In his new position Kiel will continue to assist Carr in administering the college’s burgeoning athletics program, which now has 11 varsity sports, the most of the 24 colleges comprising the Florida College System Activities Association.
Jeff Carr
“Ryan has done a tremendous job in helping build the athletic program in his short period of time here,” Carr said.
“He is very deserving of his promotion and I really appreciate everything he does for the program.”
“I’d like to thank college President Dr. Jim Richey and Jeff Carr for this great opportunity to continue helping build our athletic programs here at Eastern Florida,” said Kiel. “We have some of the best coaches, players, fans and facilities in the state, which makes my job fun and rewarding.”
