Clarksville, TN – Austin Peay State University (APSU) Assistant Director of Athletics for Academic Success Bobby Fieman announced the hiring of Abigail Purches as a Student-Athlete Success Advisor on Thursday.
“Abbi is a great addition to our team, and we are excited to have her here,” said Fieman. “With her experience both in the SEC and Big Ten, we know she will make an elite impact in our department and with our student-athletes. Her energy and pursuit of excellence will make us better!”
Purches comes to Clarksville from Maryland, where she had served as an assistant athletics academic counselor. During her time in College Park, Maryland, she helped monitor academic progress for the Terrapins’ men’s basketball, football, and gymnastics programs while adhering to academic standards and eligibility in accordance with Big Ten and NCAA guidelines.
Prior to her time at Maryland, Purches was a student practicum intern at Vanderbilt and worked with the Commodores men’s and women’s tennis teams; she was also a graduate assistant at Vanderbilt’s Office of Experiential Learning and Immersion.
Purches began her career at her alma mater, Franklin Pierce University, and served as a campus student ambassador throughout her collegiate career in Rindge, New Hampshire.
Purches earned her bachelor’s in history from Franklin Pierce in 2022, before earning her master’s of education from Vanderbilt in 2024.
