A new chapter of Missouri Southern athletics will start this afternoon. KRPS’s Fred Fletcher-Fierro has more.

Rob Mallory will be named the university’s new athletic Director at a press conference today at Southern’s North End Zone Facility in Joplin. Mallory comes to Southwest Missouri and the MIAA, from Kentucky Wesleyan, also an NCAA Division II Institution with 21 varsity sports programs. He served as vice president of intercollegiate athletics after being promoted to that position in January of this year.

Previously, Mallory was the Director of athletics at Kentucky Wesleyan for six years. The Lions have moved quickly to makeover their athletics departments since hiring President Dean VanGalen almost one year ago. The university parted way with head football coach Jeff Sims late last year before replacing him with Atiba Bradley in February. Jerod Bruggman, Southern’s AD since 2009, left the university in March. Mallory will become MSSU’s 6th athletic Director in the school’s history. For KRPS, I’m Fred Fletcher-Fierro in Webb City