LeTourneau Names Terri Deike New A.D.

Just four months after Terri Deike was named LeTourneau University’s senior woman administrator for athletics, she has now been named the new Yellow Jacket athletic director, according to Executive Vice President for Business and Administration Bill McDowell on Tuesday. Deike’s promotion is effective immediately.

Deike, who came to LeTourneau from the University of Texas in Tyler, will keep the title of senior woman administrator in addition to her promotion to athletic director.

“We are excited to have a person with Terri’s abilities, experience and passion,” McDowell said. “Terri Deike is genuine. She’s the real thing. She loves people, loves athletics and knows what it means to build winning programs. I am delighted to have her lead the athletic department for LeTourneau University.”

Prior to coming to LeTourneau, Deike was the head women’s basketball coach at UT-Tyler where she amassed a 90-61 record, including guiding her teams to ASC East Division Championships in 2004-05, 2005-06 and 2007-08. She earned the ASC East Co-Coach of the Year after the 2005-06 season.

While at UT Tyler, Deike was responsible for leading the school through the four-year NCAA provisional membership process. That helped gained active membership status as a result of reports, policies and procedures created and instituted under her leadership.

Deike, a veteran of the East Texas high school basketball ranks, coached at Whitehouse, Hallsville, Belton and Overton, spending 22 years as varsity head coach before becoming UT-Tyler’s first head coach. She spent 11 years at Whitehouse, where she guided the school to the District Championship in 1990-91 and 1993-94. Her 1991-92 team was District Runner-Up. Deike’s 1995-96 and 1997-98 teams won the Bi-District Championships.

“I am honored to be named Athletic Director for LeTourneau University and look forward to working with the staff to move the department into a new era,” Deike said. “We have a great coaching staff dedicated to the overall educational and athletic experience of student-athletes. President Lunsford has a vision and passion for athletics that will enable us to reach new heights.

“I believe God has prepared me for this role after 30 years of public school coaching, teaching, and athletic administration duties and I am grateful for the opportunity,” she said.

Deike and her husband, Dale, have two children, Dylan and Taylor. Deike’s husband works for Anadarko Production Company. They live in Tyler.