A Q&A with Chris Kilcoyne, director of athletics
Q: Looking back, what first sparked your passion for collegiate athletics, and how has that early spark shaped the way you lead at Hollins?
I have been a college athletics fan for as long as I can remember. I remember coming down with a “cold” every Thursday of the Big East Basketball tournament in the late 80s and early 90s and watching all day, and that is where I really became hooked.
My passion developed in college when, by chance, a work study job placed me in the sports information office. I got to see the inner workings of how an athletics department ran, and again, I was hooked. I knew from my junior year in college that I wanted to be an athletic director, and from that time through even today, I have done everything I can to look at different philosophies, ideas, methods, systems, etc., of how to run the best department so I can be ready for the next big challenge. I have been very lucky to have some incredible mentors with wide-ranging styles of leadership, and I believe they have influenced and guided me every day.
Q: What was it about Hollins — the people, the mission, the potential — that made you say, “Yes, this is where I want to lead?”
I admittedly did not know much about Hollins or the campus when I arrived, but I remember being immediately struck by the potential. As I met the people in administration, faculty, and staff, I got an immediate sense of a campus-wide desire for athletics to succeed. I quickly identified a talented coaching staff, and I saw Hollins Athletics as a hidden gem just waiting to have its untapped potential cultivated. I saw a clear, concise, and consistent set of expectations and commitment from the administration. I knew this was where I wanted to be.
Q: From your perspective, what sets Hollins student-athletes apart, both on the field and in the classroom?
Their passion and sense of purpose for everything they do. Whether it’s on the field, at practice, in the classroom, serving their community, or supporting each other and the causes they believe in – they do it with a remarkable amount of passion. They care not only about their individual success and hitting personal goals, but they also root for each other and support each other.
Q: What has been the most rewarding part of guiding Hollins athletics – perhaps a moment, a team milestone, or even a quiet everyday victory that reminds you why this work matters to you?
As we have built the program over the last few years, we have celebrated a lot of growth. One that I’m most proud of is the growth of the soccer program. In 2021, we had to stop a match and forfeit because we ran out of players. Today, I look out my window, and we have 26 student-athletes practicing. They have beaten Sweet Briar in each of the last two years, and the program has made remarkable strides on the field, led by a pair of fantastic coaches. In addition, they hold the highest team GPA in the athletics department at 3.6.
Q: When you think about the years ahead, what keeps you excited about the future here? What kind of legacy do you hope to build for the next generation of Hollins athletes?
Everything excites me about the future – everything! I don’t think we have scratched the surface of the potential here. We are blessed with great leadership from the top, and the fact that Hollins lives its mission daily is one of the big reasons why there is so much excitement. A lot of schools talk about their mission, but Hollins lives it.
The legacy I hope to leave is a message I constantly tell my staff. The recruiting process should be the first step in a lifelong relationship with Hollins. It’s my job to assemble a staff of coaches who will recruit and retain quality student-athletes and provide them with a first-class, NCAA Division III experience so that when they graduate, they will want to stay connected to Hollins and their respective programs and mentor the next generation of athletes.
