WINCHESTER, Va. - Shenandoah University Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Dr. Bridget Lyons announced Thursday the addition of DeShon Foxx to the department's administrative team.

Foxx, a former football player for the University of Connecticut and in the National Football League, joins the department as the first-ever assistant athletic director for student success, inclusion, and equity. In addition to those areas, he will also serve as the department's compliance director and have a leadership role with the department's RED (racial equity and diversity) team.
 
A Lynchburg, Virginia native, Foxx most recently was an assistant professor and assistant football coach at fellow ODAC member Washington & Lee University.
 
Prior to his one year in Lexington, Foxx worked at the Loomis Chaffee School in Windsor, Connecticut as an assistant football coach and an intern to the athletics director.
 
Following his graduation from UConn in 2015, Foxx spent two years in the National Football League with both the Seattle Seahawks and the New York Jets.
 
Foxx earned his graduate degree at UConn as well, earning a Master's of Science in Sports Management in 2019, and worked as a program director at the school during that time.
 
As an undergrad, Foxx was a two-time winner of the Husky Scholar Award, giving to the student-athlete that contributed the most in promoting a strong academic culture in their program. He was also the squad's MVP following his senior season.

"I am thrilled to welcome DeShon to Winchester and the Northern Shenandoah Valley," Dr. Lyons said. "He rose to the top of an impressive group of candidates for this position and I know he is going to be a valuable addition to our department and a resource for all of our student-athletes.

"He will be instrumental in our educational programming and leading collaborative efforts across campus."

Off the field, Foxx co-founded "Collective Uplift", an organization of student-athletes and professors dedicated to providing resources for minority athletes in order to encourage their holistic development and the acquisition of life skills outside of athletics. Collective Uplift received official status as a student organization in December, 2015 and brought in presenters from a wide variety of industries during his final semester in Storrs.

"I would really like to express my gratitude to Dr. Lyons and the Athletics Department for this opportunity," Foxx said. "I look forward to collaborating with everyone on campus in an effort to further the success of the students and student-athletes at Shenandoah University as well as being a part of the continuing holistic development of the community. My family and I really enjoyed our visits to campus and we can't wait to get to campus."

Foxx begins his full-time duties in January.
 
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