Former Marshall volleyball assistant coach Taylor Strickland was named the assistant director of athletic development for the Marshall University Big Green Scholarship Foundation, the organization announced via a press release Friday. The move comes after Strickland spent four seasons on head volleyball coach Mitch Jacobs’ staff.

As a part of her new job, Strickland will also serve as director of the M Club, an organization exclusive to former Marshall student-athletes who are looking to give back to their alma mater. As director, Strickland will serve as a bridge between the former-athletes and the university.

“One of the biggest parts of this job would be the M Club,” Strickland said. “It’s basically keeping in touch with former student-athletes and keeping them informed of reunions, of anything we have going on, to keep them in the loop. And, if they want to give back, we’re that avenue for that, as well.”

Strickland will also work with groups of people that either currently donate or are looking to donate to the scholarship fund. A position such as this naturally requires someone to have vast knowledge of how Marshall athletics works, which makes the former assistant coach all the more qualified in the eyes of her peers.

“I think if there’s ever been a knock on the Big Green in the last 10 years or so, it has been consistency,” Big Green director of athletic development Teddy Kluemper said. “If you start adding up her service time, it’s close to two or three years, and she’s local. So, I think it not only provides a familiar face with our donor base, but someone that’s comfortable that they can approach.”

As Kluemper referenced, Strickland is a local product. The Marshall graduate and Kenova, W.Va. native has long had a love affair with the Green and White, dating back to her childhood.

“I’ve grown up around Marshall, my dad is the biggest Marshall fan on this planet, I think,” Strickland said. “I grew up going to Marshall games, went to every bowl game when I was little, just grew up around football and basketball and everything.”

While she may be familiar with the interworkings of the athletic department, the 2010 graduate also worked with the Big Green while pursuing her Master’s degree, giving her a leg up on the competition.

“I think I did the best I could with [the volleyball job] and I’m going to miss it,” Strickland said. “But, I also wanted to find a way to get a little more stable lifestyle and this job became available and I thought it was perfect. I actually did my graduate assistantship with the Big Green before the volleyball job and loved it here, it was one of the best work environments I’ve been in.”

With her wealth of knowledge regarding Marshall, coworkers like Kluemper are excited to get to work with her immediately.

“Extremely excited,” Kluemper said. “The fact that we get to bring someone who began her career here with us, as a graduate assistant, then quickly ascended in both responsibility and then she went out and became a coach and a recruiter. We were able to get her to come back, so it’s very exciting.”

Strickland will assume her new position immediately, working to expand the Herd donor base across the state and beyond. The Big Green’s next event is the Tip-Off Club luncheon at Fat Patty’s in Huntington on Feb. 8. The luncheon is scheduled to begin at noon.

Jake Griffith can be contacted at [email protected].