Jennifer Claybrook has been named the new athletic director at Mississippi University for Women, the school announced Monday.
Claybrook comes to The W from LaGrange College in Georgia, where she served as athletic director, senior woman administrator, vice president for athletics, head softball coach and assistant for sports information.
She replaces interim athletic director Charles “Buddy” Foster, who currently serves as the Owls’ softball coach.
“Jennifer Claybrook brings athletic administration experience, passion and energy to The W. We look forward to her leadership through the remaining year of our provisional DIII status and into the future of Owls Athletics,” President Nora Miller said in a news release. “I want to thank our athletic and campus recreation staff for how they managed the spring semester. I am thankful for the work of Buddy Foster to lead Athletics and Campus Recreation during this time. I am glad that he will be able to devote his time to coaching our softball team.”
Foster took over for former athletic director Jason Trufant, who was reassigned within the university in mid-December after a five-month Dispatch investigation in which one current university employee, two former student athletes and six former athletic department employees described a toxic culture cultivated by Trufant within the Owls’ athletic department that was largely ignored by higher-ranking administration. Trufant outright denied the claims in a sit-down interview with The Dispatch on Nov. 2.
Claybrook served as LaGrange’s athletic director from 2011 to May 2021 and was head softball coach for 19 seasons.
“I want to express my sincere gratitude to President Miller, the search committee and all those who participated in the process for giving me this wonderful opportunity,” she said. “It is an exciting time for athletics with all the success in the USCAA and the transition to the NCAA (Division) III,” she said.
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