MAGNOLIA, Ark. – Southern Arkansas University President Dr. Trey Berry announced on Monday that Steve Browning will assume a full-time role as SAU's Director of Athletics. Dr. Berry also announced that associate head baseball coach, Justin Pettigrew, will take over as head coach of the Mulerider Baseball program.
 
"We are so pleased that Steve Browning has agreed to take on this new role as full-time athletic director," remarked Dr. Berry. "During the past 16 years, Coach Browning has amassed an exceptional record as a coach, leader and mentor to hundreds of student-athletes. He will also use those same leadership traits to help the SAU Athletic program grow in strength and stature as Athletic Director.
 
"At a time when our athletic program continues to grow rapidly, and as the issues in intercollegiate athletics become more complicated," added Dr. Berry. "There is a need at a university the size of SAU to have a full-time athletic director to manage the day-to-day operations and to promote SAU and our student-athletes."
 
Browning, a 2001 undergraduate of SAU, has been a fixture of Mulerider Baseball since his arrival to campus in the fall of 1998 as a junior transfer. In that time, Browning has served in virtually every role within the baseball program, and has helped the Muleriders achieve perennial regional and national success.
 
"I feel that at this time, it is the right decision for me personally, for my family, and for the entirety of Mulerider Athletics as our department continues to grow and enjoy wide-spread success, that I assume a full-time role as Director of Athletics," noted Browning. "For the last 16 years, I have been honored to have been entrusted to coach other parent's children, and I am at the point where I want to have the opportunity to coach my own kids. Additionally, my focus as Director of Athletics will be to take Mulerider Athletics to the next level."
 
In his 18 years associated with Mulerider Baseball, Browning has been a part of a total of 709 victories, 12 regular season or conference tournament championships, and 10 NCAA Regional Tournament appearances. As a head coach, Browning has amassed a 224-107 (.677) overall record, won five-straight conference tournament championships from 2011-2015, and led the Muleriders to NCAA Regional Tournaments in each of those years as well. Additionally, Browning was on staff with program when they achieved a No. 1 national ranking for 24 weeks across the 2009 and 2010 seasons.
 
"The successes of the SAU baseball program in my time here have been tremendous, and I am honored and privileged to have been a part of it as well," added Browning. "Over the last four years, I have also been fortunate to serve as the Director of Athletics here at SAU, and I feel that we have made tremendous strides as an entire athletic department, and I know we are on the cusp of capturing the GAC All-Sports Trophy."
 
In the first year of the GAC All-Sports Trophy in 2011-12, Southern Arkansas finished last (9-of-9). The following year, Browning's first as AD, SAU climbed four spots and finished fifth (5-of-9). This year, thanks to wide-spread success across the department, SAU will post its best finish in the GAC All-Sports Trophy Standings as they figure to be among the top three schools once the official standings are released by the GAC later this summer.
 
"As I move to full-time director of athletics at SAU, I want to personally thank my baseball coaching staff and my athletic administration staff for helping maintain each area at such a high-level while I held the dual role these past four years," said Browning. "I also want to personally thank our former President, Dr. David Rankin for first having the confidence in me to perform the dual roles at a high-level, and I want to thank our current President, Dr. Trey Berry for continuing to show that confidence in me this past year."
 
The 12-member Great American Conference now has all of its members with a full-time Athletic Director with no coaching responsibilities. SAU was the last to make the move.
 
With Browning's transition to a full-time administrative role, Associate Head Baseball Coach Justin Pettigrew has been promoted and will become the program's 11^th head coach since 1950.
 
"Coach (Justin) Pettigrew is the clear choice to assume the role as head baseball coach while I assume a full-time AD role," said Browning. Additionally, Dr. Berry remarked "Coach Pettigrew has a proven record of leadership, recruitment, and skill as a baseball coach. He is a great person to continue the legacies established recently by Steve Browning, Allen Gum, and Steve Goodheart."
 
Pettigrew, who is being promoted from associate head coach, has been a consistent figure of the Mulerider Baseball coaching staff as he just completed his 11^th year with the program. Serving team's pitching coach upon his arrival in in the fall of 2005; Pettigrew has mentored a pitching staff that has consistently ranked in the top of the conference in many key statistical categories.
 
A result of his tutelage over the years, Pettigrew has also coached 11 pitchers that have moved on to play professional baseball, and of those 11 pitchers to move on past SAU, eight have been drafted in the Major League Baseball draft.
 
In 2010, Pettigrew served as the pitching coach for a first-round MLB draft pick, who was also named the National Pitcher of the Year and runner up for the Tino Martinez Award (Top Division II player).
 
"I am very excited for the opportunity to build upon the history and success of the baseball program here at SAU," said Pettigrew. "I also want to thank Coach Browning and Dr. Berry for trusting in me to lead the storied Mulerider Baseball program into the future."
 
Prior to his appointment at SAU, Pettigrew was at GAC-rival Arkansas Tech University where he was the pitching coach for five years (2001-2005).
 
A graduate of Lake Hamilton High School, Pettigrew played junior college baseball at Bossier Parish Community College in Bossier City, La., and Connors State College in Warner, Okla., before transferring to play for the Wonder Boys, where he finished his career in 2000.
 
Pettigrew received his B.S.E. in health and physical education and his M.Ed. in physical education (2003), both from Arkansas Tech. He is married to the former Corrie O'Dell of Magnolia. The couple have a son, Maddox, and a daughter, Emma.