Dr. Josh Looney was named the ninth Director of Athletics at the University of North Alabama on July 26, 2021, stepping into the role during the final phase of UNA’s transition to NCAA Division I.He brings more than 20 years of experience across collegiate governance and professional sports organizations, including a decade as a collegiate athletic director, one year leading university advancement, three years at the NCAA national office, and seven years with major professional franchises — the NBA’s Orlando Magic and the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs.
Since Looney’s arrival, UNA Athletics has experienced a surge of growth and momentum as a full NCAA Division I member — defined by transformative facility projects, record fundraising, deepening campus and community partnerships, and competitive success.
The centerpiece of this momentum is
Bank Independent Stadium — the largest construction project in UNA history. The on-campus football, soccer, and baseball venues associated with the stadium project headline a wave of facility transformation, backed by donor support and collaboration with campus and community partners. In partnership with the UNA Foundation and its $100 million
Shine On, Gold! capital campaign, UNA Athletics has delivered multiple years of record-breaking fundraising and revenue generation. This culminated with $20.6 million in athletics philanthropic giving and external revenue during the 2023 fiscal year.
In addition to Bank Independent Stadium, a series of externally funded facility enhancements have advanced each of UNA’s 14 sports. In 2024, the Lions opened a
multi-purpose turf practice field and track at Cox Creek, and by spring 2025, hosted the first baseball game at the new
Mike D. Lane Field — a reimagined state-of-the-art venue set to fully open in late 2025.
Hilda B. Anderson Softball Stadium has undergone major upgrades to become one of the premier softball venues in the ASUN, adding FieldTurf, an indoor hitting facility, and a team room.
CB&S Bank Arena was renamed following a major gift in 2023, added a second weight room, and completed a full lobby renovation, followed by the dedication of a new Hall of Honor in 2024.
Locker room improvements have elevated the student-athlete experience for women’s basketball, men’s basketball, volleyball, women’s soccer, and beach volleyball. Scoreboards and lighting were installed for the first time at the
UNA Tennis Complex and
Beach Volleyball Courts, while a major football locker room and training room renovation was completed in 2023. Cross country gained a new team space and renovations to golf’s headquarters included the addition of simulators.
As the department’s physical footprint has expanded, so too has its academic reputation.
Academic achievement has become a defining strength of UNA Athletics in its Division I era, with Lions student-athletes consistently raising the bar in the classroom. In 2024–25, the department posted its highest academic year on record, finishing with a 3.28 GPA across all sports. That marked the third consecutive term above 3.25. The fall 2024 semester also set a new standard with a 3.26 GPA — the highest fall average in program history. These milestones built on previous records, including the highest single-semester GPA in department history: a 3.32 in Spring 2023.
The GPA accomplishments have fueled department bests in the NCAA’s Academic Progress Rate (APR), a national metric reflecting student-athlete retention and graduation outcomes. In 2024, UNA announced a single-year APR of 987, establishing a new school record. Nine programs — including men’s and women’s basketball, cross country, tennis, soccer, beach volleyball, and softball — earned perfect 1000 APR scores. That same year, UNA women’s golf recorded the first perfect 4.0 team GPA in UNA’s history.
UNA’s academic momentum has fueled high-level results across the field and court.
In 2024–25, UNA Athletics delivered a landmark Division I year, capturing the Jesse C. Fletcher ASUN Men’s All-Sports Trophy for the first time in program history — and the program’s first all-sports trophy since 1999–2000, when it won the Gulf South Conference title at the Division II level. The Lions led the ASUN with an 81.3% success rate across men’s sports. Men’s basketball claimed a share of the ASUN regular season title and earned its first-ever bid to the National Invitation Tournament (NIT); men’s tennis swept both the ASUN regular season and tournament championships, securing UNA’s first NCAA Division I championships appearance in any sport; freshman Brian Bett made school history as UNA’s first individual ASUN champion, capturing the men’s cross country crown; and junior golfer Xing Luo became the first Lion to appear in the Division I NCAA Men’s Golf Regionals in school history.
Since 2023–24, 13 UNA programs have set new ASUN and/or Division I wins records, including five that achieved the feat in back-to-back seasons. Five teams have made their Division I postseason debuts since Looney’s arrival — including men’s basketball (2023 CBI, 2025 NIT), men’s golf (2025 NCAA individual qualifier), softball (2022 NIT), men’s tennis (2024 NIT, 2025 NCAA), and women’s tennis (2025 NIT). During that same span, five programs have reached ASUN Championship Finals: men’s basketball, women’s soccer, softball, men’s tennis, and women’s tennis. Looney has also hired the only ASUN Coaches of the Year in UNA history — Kaleb VanDePerre (beach volleyball, 2024), Olaya Garrido-Rivas (women’s tennis, 2025), and Aitor Reparaz (men’s tennis, 2025).
UNA Athletics has deepened its commitment to the Shoals community, completing more than 12,500 verified hours of engagement since the start of the 2022–23 academic year. According to Helper Helper, UNA ranked No. 19 nationally in 2023–24 for service-related impact, generating over $140,000 in economic value through student-athlete volunteerism.
That investment in the community has been reciprocated through record-setting attendance and ticketing revenues across the past three years. In 2024–25, men’s basketball, women’s soccer, and softball led the ASUN in both average and total attendance. Each of UNA’s ticketed sports ranked in the top three for attendance across the ASUN and United Athletic Conference (UAC), reflecting a surge in fan engagement and regional support.
Season ticket growth has mirrored that momentum, with a 30% increase in basketball and a 17% increase in football season ticket holders since 2022. Attendance records were also recently established for softball (4,008 fans on 3/14/23 vs. Alabama), men’s basketball (3,000 fans on 11/7/24 vs. Point for Elementary Day), and women’s soccer (2,186 fans on 9/19/24 vs. West Georgia).
In 2023–24, UNA Athletics surpassed $1 million in annual corporate partnerships for the first time in the University's history. That success was followed by a 90% renewal rate, $1.1 million in corporate partnership revenue, and a record 90 total partners in 2024–25. Additionally, a new high of 799 unique donors contributed to the department in 2024–25.
Prior to arriving at UNA, Looney served as Vice President and Director of Athletics at Missouri Western State University (2017–21), where the department experienced a four-year stretch of record academic performance, competitive success, and community engagement. Griffon student-athletes posted the five highest single-semester GPAs in program history, while eight teams reached NCAA Division II postseason play, including back-to-back bowl wins in football and a top-10 national attendance ranking. Griffon men’s and women’s basketball combined to deliver a 26–3 home record in 2019–20, and volleyball captured the 2017 MIAA Championship. The department also logged 4,000+ hours of annual community service and earned three consecutive NCAA Awards of Excellence.
In addition to his athletics role, Looney served as Interim Vice President of Advancement and Executive Director of the MWSU Foundation during the 2020–21 academic year. He previously held roles at the NCAA national office (2012–15), the Kansas City Chiefs (2006–12), and the Orlando Magic (2005–06).
Looney holds degrees from Washburn University (BBA), the University of Missouri–Kansas City (MBA), and Creighton University (Ed.D.), along with a leadership certificate from Harvard’s Institute for Educational Management at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. He and his wife, Jenna, are proud parents to daughters Parker and Perry, who have grown up immersed in the university experience and frequently cheer on the Lions from the sidelines.
All-time UNA Athletic Directors
1949-69 Eddie Flowers
1969-73 Hal Self
1973-77 Mickey Andrews
1977-87 Wayne Grubb, Associate
Bill Jones, Associate
1987-94 Bill Jones
1994-2002 Dan Summy
2002-07 Dr. Joel Erdmann
2007-21 Mark Linder
2021- Dr. Josh Looney
