-

General

Northern Kentucky University Athletics Announces Hires in Academics and Compliance

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. - Northern Kentucky University Norse Athletics welcomed three new hires in the fall of 2024, bringing in Britney Woodhull-Smith as the Assistant Athletic Director for Academics, Kristen Rogers as the Assistant Athletic Director for Compliance, and Rachael Bragg as an Athletic Academic Advisor. 

Britney Woodhull-Smith joined the Norse academic staff in 2024 and serves as an academic advisor for Men's Basketball, Baseball, Softball, Women's Volleyball, and the Men's and Women's golf programs. Northern Kentucky's Assistant Athletic Director for Academics, Woodhull-Smith brings over a decade of experience working in collegiate athletics to the Norse academic staff. Woodhull-Smith has a widespread background in athletics, as she has served as an athletic trainer, compliance officer, and administration at different NCAA institutions. 

Woodhull-Smith joined the Norse staff in August of 2024, most recently working for the University of North Carolina Greensboro. There, she served as the program's Assistant Athletic Director for Compliance, from August of 2023 until the summer of 2024. While also being the Assistant Athletic Director for Compliance, Woodhull-Smith also served on the program's Spartan Council, as well as the UNCG NIL Committee. 

Before her time in Greensboro, Woodhull-Smith spent seven years at Barton College, from August 2017 until August 2023, where she served in several different roles. Her first role was in athletic training, as she served as an Assistant Athletic Trainer for just under three years. Following that, she moved to a different side of the department and served as the department's Assistant Athletics Director of Compliance and Senior Woman Administrator, then was promoted to Deputy Director of Athletics, and eventually Interim Director of Athletics for the final period of her tenure. During this time, she also served as the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee advisor and the Title IX Deputy Coordinator for the Bulldogs, among other duties.

For a year, Woodhull-Smith worked as an Athletic Trainer at Youngs Physical Therapy and Sports Performance in Greenville, North Carolina, before her time at Barton. This followed her Graduate Assistantship as an Athletic Trainer at The University of Mississippi, where she earned her Master of Arts in Higher Education/Student Personnel. Woodhull-Smith is currently finishing her Doctorate in Higher Education Administration from The University of Southern Mississippi, where she will graduate in December of 2024. She also has a pair of Bachelor's degrees, one in Athletic Training from East Carolina, and one in Zoological Sciences from North Carolina State University.

Kristen Rogers joined the Northern Kentucky Norse athletic department in November 2024 as the Assistant Athletic Director for Compliance. Rogers has now been working in compliance at different NCAA Institutions since 2020 and has a background in coaching before her experience in compliance. 

Rogers joins the Norse from Western Illinois University, where she most recently served as the Leathernecks' Assistant Athletic Director for Compliance and Student-Athlete Success. Rogers also oversaw the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) at Western Illinois, served on the Council for Intercollegiate Athletics and the Financial Aid, Registrar, Admissions, Athletic Academic Services, and Compliance (FRAAC) committees, among many other duties. In August of 2024, Rogers was selected to participate in the NCAA New Administrators Compliance Academy. 

From July 2022 to May 2023, Rogers served as the Assistant Athletic Director for Compliance at Northern Michigan University, where she oversaw compliance for Division I Men's Ice Hockey, 16 Division II sports, and 5 non-NCAA sports.  She helped lead the department's transition to a new compliance software and served as department liaison to the Registrar's Office, Admissions, Financial Aid, Housing, International Program's Office, and Academic Advising, among other duties. 

Rogers' first role in compliance came at Marian University, where she served as the Head Women's Basketball Coach as well as an Assistant Compliance Director from June 2020 to June 2022. Rogers has 15 years of coaching experience before her role at Marian, as she's served as an Assistant Women's Basketball Coach at Northwood University, the Head Women's Basketball Coach at Lake Superior State University, an Assistant Women's Basketball Coach at Northern Michigan, and an Assistant Women's Basketball Coach at Wayne State, her Alma Mater. Rogers earned her Bachelor's in Liberal Arts and Sciences from Wayne State in 2006, majoring in mathematics, and got her Master's in Education just a year and a half later, majoring in Sports Administration. 

Rachael Bragg joined the Norse in November 2024 as an Academic Advisor for Women's Soccer, Stunt Cheer, Men's and Women's Swimming, Men's and Women's Tennis, Men's and Women's Triathlon, and Men's Volleyball. Bragg has coached lacrosse at four different institutions for the past ten years, most recently just south of Highland Heights at Transylvania. 

Bragg had been the Head Women's Lacrosse Coach at Transylvania since June 2021, leading the team to three straight NCAA Tournament appearances in her first three seasons. At Transylvania, Bragg also served as the Staff Liaison for the NCAA DIII LGBTQ OneTeam Program, coaching many conference All-Academic selections.

Before that, Bragg was the Head Women's Lacrosse Coach at Bridgewater College, a position she held for four years. There, she oversaw 40 conference All-Academic selections and led the way in recruiting during a pair of COVID-19-shortened seasons in 2020 and 2021. 

Before becoming a head coach, Bragg served as an Assistant Women's Lacrosse Coach at Catholic University, and then at Muhlenberg College. Bragg received her Bachelor's in Psychology from Birmingham-Southern College and her Master's in Sports Leadership from Northeastern University.
 
Print Friendly Version