Matthew "Matt" Grawrock, the new associate athletic director of compliance and internal ops at Eastern New Mexico University, has goals to "digitize everything we can in ENMU Athletics.
"I want to help us become a unified group and allow us to expand what we can do; help us be a department that embraces technology," he explained.
His job duties include helping coaches and student-athletes compete in a compliant manner in the NCAA and Lone Star Conference, educating staff and students on what the NCAA legislation and bylaws mean and how they apply, and helping with day-to-day operations of the athletic department.
The aspect of his job that Matt enjoys the most are the people at ENMU. "It's a friendly environment, and it has been fun! I like working with student-athletes and coaches and helping them succeed.
"When somebody makes a breakthrough on the field, or in recruiting, or something along those lines, I feel a great sense of accomplishment knowing that I've helped in a small way."
Matt earned a bachelor's degree in liberal arts with a minor in history from Southern Virginia University (SVU) and a master's degree in sports management and sport coaching at the United States Sports Academy in Alabama.
He transitioned from coaching to helping with NCAA compliance during his time at SVU. "I enjoyed coaching, and I held a couple of different positions at SVU [head women's soccer coach and assistant athletic director]. While looking to move our school from NAIA to DIII, the interim athletic director asked me if I would take over the compliance component of the transition. From there I took care of our compliance department and grew in the position until I moved here to help with Eastern's compliance efforts."
Matt was drawn to the position at ENMU because "we made a family decision to head this way. My family and my wife's family are mostly out West. From a professional standpoint, I was intrigued about moving from an NCAA DIII school to a DII institution.
"I was also very impressed with the momentum the department has experienced and knew I wanted to be a part of that. I want to contribute to the growth and excellence that ENMU athletics is going to attain soon."
Some fun facts about Matt:
The former recreation coordinator for Tahoe City Parks and Recreation has been married to his wife, Dustee, for sixteen years. He and his wife have five children: Landon (13), Cael (11), Ainsley (eight), Rylan (five) and Halsey (five months).
He once "fought off a bear with my Honda Odyssey min-van."
His son Landon has a pet hamster named StrongBad.
Matt enjoys camping, hiking, playing soccer and family time.
He has traveled to Cape Charles in Virginia, Lake Tahoe and Gothenburg, Sweden.
His favorite thing about ENMU is the free parking.
