Former UK two-sport athlete named EKU athletic director

Steve Lochmueller played basketball/football at UK

RICHMOND, Ky. (March 27, 2015) — Eastern Kentucky University today named Steve Lochmueller athletic director. President Michael Benson said Lochmueller’s “unique skill set” makes him ideally suited for the position.

“Steve is the son of a former student-athlete, coach and teacher; played college basketball at the highest level under legendary coaches; and has served on various athletics-affiliated boards,” Benson said. “He has been around athletics his entire life in many different roles and understands the broad spectrum that is intercollegiate athletics. Add to that his extensive business experience and his vast array of contacts within the commonwealth and beyond, and I believe we have in Steve Lochmueller a leader who can imbue our athletics operation with a business mindset focused on resource and revenue generation.”

Lochmueller will start in April, with an annual base salary of $180,000. He succeeds Mark Sandy, who resigned earlier this year to take a similar position at Ball State University.

Lochmueller has served as general manager for GTE Telecommunications, vice president and general manager for Horizon Cellular, vice president for Pre-Cellular, area general manager for Nextel Partners, regional vice president for Leap Wireless, and chief operating officer, president and chief executive officer for Lightyear Network Solutions. He also served from 1992 to 1993 as a liaison for technology and communications with the Kentucky Governor’s Office and CEO and owner of Sumerset Houseboats from 2003 to 2009. Currently, as president of Direct Attention

Lochmueller, one of the last players to participate in both basketball and football at the University of Kentucky, was a member of UK’s famed 1971 “Super Kittens” recruiting class, which was undefeated as freshmen and ranked No. 1 in the nation. The 6-foot-7 center/forward helped lead his Wildcat teams to an SEC regular-season championship and NCAA Elite Eight during his career. He went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in general studies from UK. A native of Tell City, Ind., an Ohio River community just east of Owensboro, Lochmueller is a member of the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame.