Press contact: Kyla Kruse
SPRINGFIELD – Lincoln Land Community College has named Diana Couch of Titusville, Florida, as its new athletics director. She replaces Ron Riggle, who retired in August.
Couch comes to ͷapp with experience in coaching women’s basketball and serving as the associate director of athletics and then the director of athletics at Florida State College at Jacksonville. While at FSCJ, she also served as an adjunct professor of sports management, director of the outdoor education center, supervisor of game day management and work-study, and sports information director. In her first two seasons coaching, Couch helped to triple the wins of FSCJ women's basketball. In the process, the team’s overall Grade Point Average (GPA) was raised to over a 3.0, and the team had seven Phi Theta Kappa (academic honor society) members, eight FCSAA All-Academic Team members, eight NJCAA All-Academic Team members, a FCSAA Sandy Miller Award winner and five FCSAA All Conference selections.
Prior to her work at FSCJ, Couch was the head women’s basketball coach at Indian River State College. She worked in student services as the intramural coordinator in addition to serving as the sports information director. Before that, Couch spent 11 years coaching in the historic Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference. She spent three seasons as the head women’s basketball coach at Fort Scott Community College. From 2007-2009, she made the move to NCAA II as the women's assistant basketball coach at Newman University in Wichita. There she also served as the fitness center supervisor and was in charge of game day management. Her first head coaching position was at Neosho County Community College in Chanute, and her first stint in Kansas was as an assistant coach at Independence Community College in Independence.
“We’re excited to welcome Diana to ͷapp and back to the Midwest,” said Shanda Byer, vice president, student services at ͷapp. “She brings experience in athletic department administration, recruitment, game day management and fundraising; and we’re looking forward to her contributions to Loggers athletics.”
“My mission is to help foster a supportive atmosphere that empowers the student-athletes, coaches and staff to continue to reach new heights in the classroom, in competition and through campus and community involvement,” said Couch. “It is our duty to provide a holistic experience for our student-athletes while at ͷapp before they transition on in their academic and athletic careers.”
Couch is originally from St. Louis. She earned a master’s degree in coaching and athletic administration from Concordia University – Irvine, a bachelor’s degree in liberal studies with a minor in criminal justice from University of Central Florida and associate degrees from Daytona Beach Institute of Photographic Technology and Brevard Community College (now Eastern Florida State College).