UA names new assistant athletic director for development

Henderson State Athletic Director Kale Gober has been named assistant athletic director for development at the University of Arkansas.
 
Gober has spent the past three years as the athletic director at Henderson State. Gober, a native of El Dorado, Ark., also competed as a student-athlete in football at Henderson State prior to entering athletic administration.


“We are pleased to welcome Kale Gober to our development team at the University of Arkansas,” Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics Jeff Long said in a statement. “As a former student-athlete and athletic director, he understands the positive impact intercollegiate athletics has on the lives of student-athletes and the importance of providing them what they need to excel in all aspects of their collegiate experience. Kale’s professional experience and lifelong familiarity with our state and the Razorbacks is a tremendous asset to our department and will benefit our continued efforts to secure the support necessary for the future success of our program.”

As a member of the athletic department’s senior leadership team, Gober will lead development efforts for the athletic department as well as serve as a member of the University of Arkansas’ Office of Advancement.

He will coordinate major gift fund raising efforts with the Razorback Foundation. Gober will also work with the recently launched “Never Yield” fundraising initiative focused on raising support for three new facilities targeted in the Razorback Athletics Facilities Master Plan – the Student-Athlete Success Center, the Basketball Practice Facility and the Baseball and Track Indoor Training Facility.
 
“I am extremely honored and excited to be joining a great, tradition-rich program such as the Razorbacks” Gober said. “I appreciate Jeff Long giving me this professional opportunity to be part of one of the nation’s most competitive intercollegiate athletics programs. Having spent my entire life in this great state, I have a deep respect and understanding of what the Razorbacks represent.

Since 2010, Gober has served as the director of athletics at Henderson State University in Arkadelphia, Ark., where he managed the program’s 12 men’s and women’s NCAA Division II sports programs. He was responsible for athletic budget planning and oversight, as well as private fund-raising and marketing activities for the department.

In his time at Henderson, Gober restructured the Reddie Club, Henderson’s athletic booster club. Since his arrival, Reddie Club’s donations more than tripled. In correlation with Reddie Club memberships, football season-ticket sales have nearly doubled, and the reserved seating area has more than doubled. Reserved season tickets have also been sold out in back-to-back seasons for the first time in school history.

Henderson State also saw growth in marketing and corporate dollars, with the corporate sales sector growing by five-times.  In 2011, Gober obtained private funding and sponsorships for a state-of-the-art artificial playing surface at Carpenter-Haygood Stadium, which was spearheaded by the second-largest private gift in the department’s history. Gober was also instrumental in various other facility enhancements including improvements to Dee White Field, a new scoreboard in the Duke Wells Center, Clyde Berry Field, the men’s basketball locker room and a donor relations room.. Gober also served as chair of the Strategic Planning Committee for the Great American Conference.

Gober came to Henderson State after having been employed as Development Associate and Assistant to the Athletics Director at the University of Central Arkansas, where he was mentored under UCA Athletic Director Dr. Brad Teague.

A former three-year letterman for the Reddies football team, Gober was also an Academic All-Gulf South Conference selection. During his time as a student-athlete at Henderson, Gober was selected as a candidate for the Gulf South Conference "Top Ten" award.

He also served as president of the HSU Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and as vice-chair of the Gulf South Conference Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.

Gober holds a bachelor’s degree from Henderson and a master’s degree from the University of Central Arkansas.

Kale’s wife of five years, Kaitlen, is a high school English teacher.