Sept. 28, 2015
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Former University of Notre Dame head student baseball manager Kelli Zeese has rejoined the Irish program as its Operations Specialist, head coach Mik Aoki announced Monday.
Zeese replaces Tad Skelley, who accepted a coaching position on the Northwestern baseball staff during the summer.
She returns to the Irish after graduating from Saint Mary’s College in May 2012 with a major in psychology and minor in biology. During her time at Saint Mary’s, Zeese served two years as the head student manager for Aoki’s program.
“I continued to follow the program after my time as a student manager and was extremely proud to see the guys work back to an NCAA Regional last year,” said Zeese. “And now I am thrilled to be a part of what’s next for this program. Mik (Aoki) and the rest of the staff truly work to develop every aspect of the student-athlete and I could not be more excited to join a top-notch program.”
While working as head manager for Irish baseball, Zeese also served as the student manager representative on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). Prior to joining the baseball program in the winter of 2010, she worked as a student manager for the Notre Dame football team, specifically with the defensive line (March-November 2010).
Just some of Zeese’s duties as a baseball manager included acting as a team liaison between various departments on campus as well as several outside entities, coordinate and handle all team travel, run video software, assist at practice and coordinate events.
“Kelli was really dedicated to our program when she was here as a student,” said Aoki. “She is an incredibly hard worker. I think the experience she’s gathered post-Notre Dame baseball by going through Ohio University’s sports administration program and some of the internships she has obtained has rounded out her resume even more and made her uniquely qualified for this position.”
In May 2015, Zeese graduated from Ohio University with a dual-degree Master’s in business administration and sports administration.
She most recently worked as a postgraduate intern with the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. In her role with the AAU, Zeese coordinated national youth sporting events at the ESPN Wide World of Sports and served as a representative at the 2015 AAU Junior Olympic Games in Hampton Roads, Virginia.
While earning her Master’s at Ohio, Zeese served as the officials’ liaison for the Bobcats’ football program during the 2013 and 2014 seasons. Additionally, she worked as the assistant director of the business college’s Office of Career Management, where she provided undergraduate students with career and resume development and guidance.
In the summer of 2013, Zeese interned with the Notre Dame Monogram Club. Zeese, who earned a letter and membership in 2012 for her position as the head student baseball manager, helped restructure the club’s mentoring program and analyzed communication efforts with club members.
Zeese’s extensive career in athletic operations includes volunteer positions at the 2014 NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Regional at Notre Dame, the 2014 ACC Baseball Championship in Greensboro, North Carolina and the 2015 Mountain West Conference Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournament in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Zeese has demonstrated a passion for giving back to the community, volunteering as the operations co-coordinator for the Race for a Reason in Southeastern Ohio in 2014. While at Ohio, she also was the co-chair of the Community Service Committee for her Master’s program.
–Sean Tenaglia `16, Student Writer
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