TAMPA, Fla. – University of Tampa associate athletic director Gil Swalls has retired from his position following 28 years at the University. Swalls joined the Spartans in 1989 as the Assistant Athletic Director and Sports Information Director. He was promoted to Associate Athletic Director in 1999. Since 2004, he managed the athletic department marketing efforts, which included sponsorships, event promotions and revenue creation in addition to other associate AD duties.

“Gil will be sorely missed, and I cannot thank him enough for the leadership and direction that he brought to this University,” says Director of Athletics Larry Marfise. We simply cannot replace the 40-plus years of experience that he has in athletics. I cannot say enough about all the great things he brought to our department, and am extremely thankful to have had him by my side in my time at UT. His accomplishments are unmatched and this athletic department and University has truly benefited from his time at Tampa.”

At UT, he built a sports marketing team of 50 students, which has earned the University’s Outstanding Organization of the Year Award in 2012 and Most Spirited Organization in 2009 and 2018 while Swalls was named Student Organization Advisor of the Year in 2006. In 2007, the group earned a NACMA national third place award for NCAA II single-game promotion and in 2008 received NCAA Best in Conference for community engagement programs. He was among those who received the UT Unsung Hero award in 2003.

“The University of Tampa is home to me and I am proud to be a Spartan,” says Swalls. “I have so many wonderful memories of so many people, but I really appreciate the student assistants in both sports information and athletic marketing who built these programs with me. I wish Larry (Marfise) and the staff, a wonderful group to work with, all the best and I will always support the program.”

Swalls also chaired the UT Athletic Hall of Fame committee, supervised the cheer, dance and mascot programs, has chaired or served on several UT athletic staff search committees, and was a member of UT’s Emergency Action and Orientation committees. He previously served on the UT Activity Committee, and is an adjunct professor in the sport management program.

He served from 2001-03 as a member of the NCAA II Baseball committee, was president of the Sports Club of Tampa Bay in 2009-10, and as a member of the Tampa Chamber of Commerce Sports Steering Committee, CoSIDA and NACMA where he served on committees. His publications have won CoSIDA awards including two “Best in Nation” at Tulsa, a national fourth place award for the 2003 Tampa Baseball Media Guide and a “Best in South” award for a personality profile on UT Swim Coach Ed Brennan.

While at UT, he has staffed several NCAA II post-season events including hosting three NCAA II Soccer Final Four Championships along with a volleyball and women’s lacrosse championship. He was also a member of the media relations staffs for several NCAA I Championship events including the 1999 Men’s Basketball Final Four in St. Petersburg. Through his career, he has written and published hundreds of articles and publications and has been a play-by-play broadcaster on both local tv and radio.

A 1976 graduate of Southern Illinois University-Carbondale where he began his career as a sports information student assistant while majoring in radio-tv/journalism, Swalls is from Zeigler, Ill. and previously held an administrative position with the Tulsa World, (1986-89), was Assistant Athletic Director at Oral Roberts (1984-86), PR Director of the USFL Oklahoma Outlaws (1983-84), SID at Tulsa (1978-83) and Assistant Service Bureau Director of the Big Ten Conference (1977-78).