Warren D. "Moose" Koegel announced on Wednesday that he will retire at the end of the year after more than 40 years of being on a college campus, including the last three and a half as Athletics Director at Jacksonville State University.
 
"I want to thank Dr. Meehan for the opportunity and the Board of Trustees for its support during my tenure at Jacksonville State," Koegel said. "We've had a lot of good things happen over the last three and a half years, and I've been extremely blessed to work with some outstanding coaches and staff members."
 
President William A. Meehan said that Koegel's retirement will be effective December 31, 2014, and the University will announce the plans to seek a replacement in the coming days.
 
"I'm extremely grateful for the leadership that Mr. Koegel has provided our Athletic Department for the last three and a half years," Dr. Meehan said. "The Athletic Department won numerous conference championships and had a lot of success in post-season competition under his leadership.
 
"However, I'm equally proud of the job that he has done with our student-athlete academic success in the classroom and the fact that all 16 of our teams are above the NCAA benchmark in our Academic Progress Rates," added Meehan.
 
Hired as the school's sixth full-time Athletics Director on June 1, 2011, Jacksonville State enjoyed much success during Koegel's three and a half years as Athletic Director, winning 11 Ohio Valley Conference Championships and finishing in the top 6 in the OVC Commissioner's Cup, marking the sixth straight year the Gamecocks have finished in the Top 6 in the standings.
 
Additionally, numerous facility upgrades have taken place under his tenure, highlighted by a new $1.5 million softball upgrade with the addition of new grandstands, pressbox, sunken dugouts and a new home dressing room, which opened for the 2014 season.
 
Pete Mathews Coliseum also just completed phase one of a renovation, and phase two is scheduled to continue next summer, with the addition of a new playing surface and a new seating configuration.  Additional facility upgrades are also scheduled for the JSU track and the JSU Tennis complex over the next six months. Koegel also made numerous other facility upgrades for baseball, rifle, soccer, the football field house and in the Gamecock weight room.
 
"Jacksonville State University will always have a very special place in my heart," added Koegel. "I'm very appreciative of the support of the Gamecock community, fans and alumni, and I will cherish all of the friendships that we have made here.
 
"I'm looking forward to spending more time with my wife, Elaine, my daughter, Kathryn, and the rest of my family," added Koegel.
 
Over his three years, Jax State has claimed OVC Championships in football (2011), softball (2013, 2014), baseball (2014), men's golf (2012, 2014), women's golf (2012), men's tennis (2014) and rifle (2012, 2013, 2014). Koegel also served on the NCAA Football Subdivision Committee that helped expand the FCS playoffs for the 2014 season.
 
IN 2013-14, Jacksonville State had five OVC Player or Most Valuable Player of the Year Awards, nine NCAA All-Americans, 61 OVC All-Conference honorees, two teams claimed OVC Team Academic Achievement honors, and four OVC Coach of the Year Award winners.
 
In 2012-13,  JSU had five OVC Player or Most Valuable Player of the Year Awards, seven NCAA All-Americans, 58 OVC All-Conference honorees, two teams claimed OVC Team Academic Achievement honors, and one OVC Coach of the Year.
 
In 2011-12, Jacksonville State had eight OVC Player or Most Valuable Player of the Year Awards, one NCAA All-American, 65 OVC All-Conference honorees, two teams claimed All-Academic honors, two OVC Coach of the Year winners and one OVC Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
 
Gamecock student-athletes have also excelled in the classroom after 10 teams posted a combined grade point average of 3.0 or higher and the department finished above a 3.0 grade point average every year under Koegel.
 
Several teams have claimed the OVC Team Academic Achievement Award for their sports, and more than 375 student-athletes have been named to the OVC Commissioner Honor Roll over the last three years. Additionally, almost 60 student-athletes have been named to the OVC Medal of Honor Roll with a perfect 4.0 grade point average, while close to 450 student-athletes posted a 3.0 grade point average or higher during the last three academic years.
 
Prior to joining Jax State in 2011, Koegel spent 10 very successful years as Director of Athletics at Coastal Carolina University, where the Chanticleers made 56 NCAA Championship appearances, won 48 Big South Conference Championships and won five Sasser Cups, which is awarded to the top athletic program in the Big South Conference.

Koegel was named the 2008 NACDA Southeast Region Division I FCS Athletic Director of the Year. He also has experience on the NCAA level, having served on the Football Championship Subdivision Committee, Football Issues Committee, and the Football Academic Working Group.

Koegel went to Coastal Carolina from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, where he had served as an associate athletic director from 1998-2000 under former JSU Athletics Director Oval Jaynes.

Prior to his stint at Chattanooga, he had served on the football coaching staffs at the University of Connecticut, Rutgers University and the University of Wyoming. During his tenure on the football coaching staff at the University of Connecticut from 1992 to 1997, he was recruiting coordinator and defensive line coach as well as interim head coach in 1993. Koegel was an assistant football coach at Rutgers University from 1984 to 1990 and Wyoming University from 1977 to 1983.

Koegel played in the National Football League from 1971 to 1975, spending time with the Oakland Raiders, St. Louis Cardinals and New York Jets. He starred at Penn State University under legendary football coach Joe Paterno, where he earned All-American honors. He was co-captain of the Nittany Lions his senior season and earned a bachelor's degree in 1971.

During his college career, he was a Third Team All-American as a senior and played on two Orange Bowl championship teams. He also played in the Hula Bowl, East-West Shrine Game and the College All-Star Game. Koegel received Penn State's Dedicated Player and Outstanding Senior Awards.