Dear Big Red Athletics Alums and Fans,
As I retire from the wonderful leadership challenge of being the associate vice president, director of athletics, I would like to thank ALL OF YOU for the incredible support. “Teamwork does, indeed, make the dream work,” and I have seen that firsthand with your financial support, your visible support at games and contests, your career guidance, internship opportunities, and even full-time employment of our recent graduates — thank you for stepping up to support our student-athletes. Denison has always been about relationships. You have supported every program and initiative to allow our student-athletes to thrive during their tenure and then launch, following Denison.
I also want to introduce Matt Tanney, the newest member of our Denison athletics family. Matt comes to us most recently from Wabash College. He has an impressive resume that includes many experiences that will help guide Denison’s incredible coaches and staff. Please welcome Matt at your earliest convenience at tanneym@denison.edu. He will do great things as your next director of athletics.
It is with incredible gratitude, respect, and love for every single alum, student, family, and particularly, the coaches, faculty, administrators, and staff of our awesome division that I will sorely miss.
Remember, in Branch Rickey’s words, “It’s not the honor you take with, but the heritage you leave behind.”
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Go Big Red!
Nan Carney-DeBord ’80
Associate Vice President
Director of Athletics
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Introducing Matt Tanney, new associate vice president and director of athletics
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Beginning July 1, Matt Tanney will lead Denison Big Red athletics into a new era. Tanney has served as athletics director of Wabash College, his alma mater, since 2018 and also serves on the NCAA Division III Committee on Infractions, the Board of Directors of the National Association of Division III Athletics Administrators, and as an athletic director’s co-chair in the North Coast Athletic Conference. Learn more about Tanney’s experience.
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Unprecedented: inside Denison’s extraordinary year in sports
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The 2024-25 academic year is one for the record books, and arguably the greatest in Denison athletic history. Two national titles, six top-5 NCAA finishes, 11 conference regular season championships, and numerous individual honors — unpack Denison’s unprecedented year in athletics.
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Big Red spring sports highlights
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A dream fulfilled: Denison wins its first NCAA men’s tennis title
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Men’s tennis won its first Division III NCAA title after defeating Case Western Reserve University, 4-2. The team finished the season with an impressive 28-2 record and won its last 20 contests. Read more about the competition in California.
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A President’s Medal, a mad dash in heels, and Friday night lights
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When softball coach Tiffany Ozbun learned that her star catcher, Annabelle Calderon ʼ25, would be awarded a President’s Medal, she knew she would need a creative solution to get Annabelle and her teammates to the ceremony, since they had a doubleheader against Hiram scheduled for that afternoon. Find out how Coach Ozbun pulled it off, and what happened during what Calderon describes as the most gloriously chaotic days of her life.
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Support student-athletes with a gift by June 30!
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Denison’s fiscal year ends on June 30. If you’ve been meaning to make your gift, now’s a great time! When you make a gift in support of Denison athletics, you provide the critical support that enables our teams to succeed year-round. Your gift makes an immediate impact on the program and our talented and hard-working student-athletes. We’d love to count you in before the clock runs down.
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To a new class of Varsity D athletes
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Congratulations to our 2025 graduates!
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During an evening in May, 120 graduating student-athletes gathered to celebrate with coaches and to receive their Varsity D Association pin, which highlights their contributions to Denison’s successful athletic legacy.
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“As Varsity D President, it is exciting to have the opportunity to share our purpose and mission with our new members. Although the Varsity D Association has been around for a long time, many of our alums are unaware of our existence and our role in maintaining connections between Denison’s sports programs and the alums from those programs. Over the past years, we have been trying to become more visible to both our current students and our alum base. Thanks to Nan’s vision of this champagne toast to our graduating student-athletes, she has created a tradition that now intentionally sets the
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stage, linking Varsity D to our new alumni cohort.”
— Dana Grandmaison-Gilligan ’02, Varsity D Association President
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Spring 2025 team highlights
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It was a thrilling spring season. See how each Big Red team concluded the year.
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Friday, Oct. 3 through Sunday, Oct. 5
Save the date for your homecoming on The Hill! Cheer the Big Red on to victory, visit with classmates and friends, reconnect with your favorite clubs and organizations, enjoy a fun-filled weekend on campus, and so much more! More details will be available later this summer, but you can book your room at Cherry Valley Hotel with a special Denison rate today.
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Football alums will also be able to participate in their own Denison Football Reunion and Golf Outing during the very same weekend!
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Your Varsity D Association Leadership
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As always, please let us know if we can be of service to you in any way. Also, we value your feedback, so please stay in touch.
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Dana Grandmaison-Gilligan ’02
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Vice-President of the Varsity D Association
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