Savannah State University President Cheryl Davenport Dozier, DSW, named Opio Mashariki as director of Intercollegiate Athletics effective January 2, 2019.

Mashariki, who has served as interim director since August of 2018, will be responsible for all matters related to managing Savannah State’s sport teams for men and women including budgeting; compliance with university, University System of Georgia (USG) and NCAA policies and rules; and fundraising for programmatic needs.

“Mr. Mashariki has been a valuable leader in the athletic department for a number of years and his tenure as interim athletics director convinced me a national search was not necessary,” said Dozier. “He has a wealth of knowledge about all facets of SSU athletics, and  I am pleased he has agreed to take the reins of responsibility on a permanent basis.”

Prior to joining Savannah State in 2005 as assistant athletic director for media relations, Mashariki worked at his alma mater, Bethune-Cookman University in Daytona Beach, Fla., for approximately four years, first as assistant sports information director and later as interim sports information director. A native of Brooklyn, N.Y., Mashariki earned his bachelor’s degree in mass communications/public relations in 2001.

“I thank Dr. Dozier for this leadership opportunity and I look forward to working with her, other administrators, faculty, coaches and our student athletes,” said Mashariki.

SSU’s athletics program will complete the transition from NCAA Division I to NCAA Division II by the end of the 2019-20 academic year and will compete in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) beginning in the fall of 2019.