Jessup Athletics welcomed back alumnus Dakota Spillers to the staff in April of 2023. Spillers, a former student-athlete for the Warriors, returns to Jessup as Assistant Athletic Director of Business Operations.
"I want to thank God for giving me this amazing opportunity to come back to the university that gave so much to me," says Spillers. "I am beyond grateful to be part of President Dr. John Jackson, Vice President Lance Von Vogt, and the athletic administration's vision."
Spillers oversees the day-to-day business operations of the athletic department, while also serving as the sport administrator of the men's socer, golf, and softball programs.
Spillers rejoins his alma mater after spending the last three years as the Assistant Athletic Director for Communications and Digital Design at Western New Mexico University. While at WNMU, Spillers was the communications contact for the University's 13 varsity teams. He even added coaching to his resume, filling in as the Mustangs' tennis coach during the 2023 season.
With WNMU, Spillers' day-to-day tasks included overseeing game management and game day operations, including statistics, live streaming, fan engagement, and staffing. He also helped the Mustangs in the development of their current website and served as a liaison between the university and its alumni.
Spillers returns to a university from which he earned both his bachelor's and master's. During his graduate studies, Spillers became the first graduate assistant in department history, assisting Brandon Bowling and his team in external communications and partnerships. Spillers also served as the Director of Operations for the baseball program following his time on the field during one of the most successful periods in team history.
A three-year player on the Warriors, Spillers came to Jessup before the 2017 season after beginning his time at Azusa Pacific University. Spillers was a career .278 hitter for the Warriors, totaling five home runs and 26 RBI. But most notably, Spillers was on both sides of the greatest turnaround season in college baseball history as Jessup went from a ten-win season in 2017 to 41 wins, a GSAC Championship, and a trip to the NAIA Opening Round in 2018.
The Warriors repeated as GSAC Champions in 2019, ending Spillers' playing career with another trip to the opening round.
"It's always great to be part of somebody's journey when they're a student-athlete at Jessup and then to see them grow in their role within the athlete department as a student worker," said Vice President of Athletics Lance Von Vogt. "And then for them to go get experience at another institution, become a professional, and still have the desire to come back to their alma mater, that's what we have here with Dakota. He has a heart of a Jessup Warrior."
In his new role with the Warriors, amongst many things, Spillers will assist in business operations, budgeting, and strategic planning alongside other members of the university's core team.
Dakota and his wife Ariana have been married since June of 2023. The two have a dog together, Tucker.
