Athletic Directory

DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS - Arabie Conner

Arabie Conner begins her third year as the Director of Athletics for Ottawa University. She spent the last 11 years as the head women's basketball coach at Ottawa University before resigning after a record breaking 2006-2007 season. Conner finished as the all-time winningest coach in Lady Brave school history with 160 victories. She earned the Kansas Basketball Coaches Associations Women's College Basketball Coach of the Year award 2003-2004. In 2004, 2006 and 2007, Conner led the Lady Braves to the KCAC Basketball Tournament Championship and to the NAIA Division II National Tournament. She also helped OU to its first ever ‘Sweet 16' appearance at the National Tournament in 2007.

Prior to coming to Ottawa University, Conner was an assistant basketball coach at Park Hill High School in Kansas City, Mo., where she helped lead the team to a second-place finish at the 4A Missouri State Tournament in 1995. Before coaching on the high school level, Conner was an assistant women's basketball coach at her alma mater, William Jewell College in Liberty, Mo., for three years. While coaching at William Jewell, Conner's teams won the Heart of America Conference Championship twice. Conner ranks third on the all-time leading scorer list in William Jewell basketball history with 1,893 points and helped her teams win four Heart of America Conference championships. She was named the Player-of-the-Year in the HAAC in 1991.

Conner was inducted into William Jewell's Hall-of-Fame in 2004. She graduated from William Jewell with a bachelor's degree in health/exercise science and english in 1992 and earned a master's degree in sports administration and sport psychology from the University of Kansas. In addition to coaching basketball, Conner has been an Assistant Professor in the Physical Education department, taught in the Liberal Arts Studies Program at OU and is now the first woman in OU history to hold the position of Athletic Director. Conner resides in Ottawa with her husband, Tim, and their son, Cole.

Bruce Tate enters his third year as the Assistant Director of Athletics at Ottawa University. Tate is also beginning his first year as the head coach for the Lady Braves basketball team. He had spent the last nine years as the Assistant Coach for the Lady Braves basketball team and was also the head junior varsity coach. In addition to coaching basketball, Tate also serves as an Instructor in Physical Education and is in charge of game day management. Bruce graduated from OU in May of 2000 with a degree in Physical Education emphasizing in Recreation Administration and Health and Fitness. He also earned a Masters of Science degree in Health, Physical Education, and Recreation from Emporia State University in 2005.

FACULTY ATHLETIC REPRESENTATIVE - Dr. Corkie Hedlund

Dr. Corkie Hedlund is in her fifth year as OU's Faculty Athletic Representative. Her responsibilities include monitoring the academic achievement of student-athletes and making certain they meet university, conference, and national association eligibility requirements.

Hedlund also serves as the Division Chair of Ottawa University's Physical Education Department.

HEAD ATHLETIC TRAINER - Jennifer Raybern

Jennifer Raybern is in her 10th year as Head Athletic Trainer at Ottawa University. Jennifer graduated from the University of Kansas in 1996 with a bachelor of science in exercise science with athletic training emphasis. She worked for two years as a student trainer at KU working primarily with the Jayhawk softball, football, women's tennis and swimming & diving teams. Jennifer next worked at Baker University as a graduate assistant athletic trainer covering men's and women's soccer, men's and women's basketball, volleyball, softball and baseball. Jennifer also completed her master of science in education in kinesiology and sports psychology at KU.

As head trainer for the Braves, Jennifer is responsible for the prevention, care and rehabilitation of injuries for 14 varsity sports. She is part-time faculty in the Physical Education Department teaching sports medicine, kinesiology and weight training courses as well as supervising internships and practicums in athletic training and strength and conditioning. In addition to being a certified and licensed athletic trainer, Jennifer is a certified strength and conditioning specialist and works with individuals and teams on performance enhancement programs. She supervises student athletic trainers as they help care for the sports medicine needs of Braves' athletes.