TERRE HAUTE, Ind. — Indiana State University Senior Associate Athletic Director for Compliance Joel McMullen announced the hiring of Kirby Smith as the Sycamores' new NCAA Compliance Assistant Director on Wednesday morning.
 
Smith joins the Sycamores by way of stints at Ohio Dominican, Eastern Kentucky, Southern Illinois, and Eastern Illinois. Most recently, she served as the Director of Compliance at Ohio Dominican University over the 2025-26 athletic year.
 
"I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to join the Sycamores and be part of the athletic department at Indiana State University. I would like to sincerely thank Joel McMullen and Nathan Christensen for their trust and confidence in me throughout this process. Their leadership makes this an exciting time to be a part of Sycamore Athletics. I am also deeply thankful for my family, mentors, and support system for their constant encouragement and unwavering support. Compliance plays a vital role in supporting student-athletes and coaches, and I'm excited to contribute to a culture built on integrity, education, and competitive success."
 
Smith takes over the NCAA Compliance Assistant Director role following the departure of Melissa Burke who accepted the role of Assistant Director of Athletics/Compliance and NIL over the winter break.
 
"I feel very fortunate to have Kirby join our Compliance team at Indiana State," McMullen said. "She has a great mix of intelligence, experience and work ethic, something that is not always easy to find. To top off those attributes, Kirby has experience as an NCAA student athlete, which gives her great insight and empathy to what student athletes encounter during their time in college. Lastly, and most importantly, Kirby has the right temperament and philosophical approach that will make her a terrific "fit" in the Sycamore family on campus. I am truly excited about working with her and I know she will be a respected and valued member of our department in the years ahead."
 
Over her year at Ohio Dominican, Smith oversaw the student-athlete certification process and worked on managing initial and continuing eligibility for incoming and current student-athletes in this modern era of NCAA Athletics. She also monitored changes in legislation and regulations while providing continue staff education.
 
Prior to her time at Ohio Dominican, she spent three years as the Assistant Athletic Director for Compliance at Eastern Kentucky University. She worked to oversee compliance of the NCAA, Atlantic Sun Conference, and EKU's policies and procedures.
 
Smith graduated with her Juris Doctorate from the Southern Illinois University School of Law in 2022. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Sociology with a Criminal Justice emphasis and a minor in Forensic Studies from McKendree University in 2019. While pursuing her law degree, she served as a Compliance Intern at both Eastern Illinois and Southern Illinois.
 
No stranger to the college athlete experience, Smith competed as a sprinter, pentathlon, heptathlon, long jump, high jump, shot put, and javelin over her four-year career with the Bearcats track & field program.

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