Clarksville, TN – Austin Peay State University (APSU) Athletics continued its push to improve and strengthen its student-athlete wellness staff and promote the principles of the department’s “Total Gov Concept” through the hiring of five staff members, APSU Vice President and Athletics Director Gerald Harrison announced Monday.
Joining the Governors’ athletics staff are Deja James as Director of Sport Psychology and Behavioral Health; Noah Kippenhan and Sooji Berthiaume as Assistant Athletic Trainers; and Abe Spencer and Jala Williams as Assistant Directors of Sports Performance.
“During my tenure at Austin Peay State University, we have focused on providing a culture of excellence that equips and empowers our Governors’ student-athletes for lifelong success,” said Harrison. “This spring and summer, we were determined as a department to provide our student-athletes with professionals in the areas of mental health, athletic training, and sports performance so they would better be able to pursue excellence in all aspects of their experience, keeping with the ideas of the ‘Total Gov Concept.'”
James joins behavioral health specialist Chantel Baker-Whitlow on the Governors Student-Athlete Wellness staff. James comes to Austin Peay after serving as assistant director of mental wellness and sports psychology at Kansas State last season. While in Manhattan, she provided direct individual and group psychological services and created and presented educational workshops and programming to the Wildcats student-athletes.
A 2019 graduate of Alabama, James began her sports psychology career at her alma mater as a behavioral and mental health and athletic training professional with the Crimson Tide athletics department. In her three seasons in Tuscaloosa, she collaborated with the director of behavioral medicine on all behavioral and mental health programming for Alabama’s student-athletes. James also communicated with UA’s mental health clinicians, team physicians, coaches, and athletic trainers regarding patients’ care.
James earned her bachelor’s degree in athletic training at Alabama in 2019. She completed her master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling from Alabama in 2021.
“I am honored and enthusiastic to join Austin Peay’s athletics department and look forward to calling Clarksville home,” said James. “The commitment Gerald and (Deputy Director of Athletics) Niesha Campbell have to the holistic development and overall well-being of the student-athletes is motivating and increases my excitement to join the APSU community. I want to thank them for the opportunity to serve Austin Peay’s student-athletes.”
Kippenhan joins Austin Peay’s athletic training staff to oversee track and field and football. He recently completed his master’s degree in athletic training from Marquette after earning a bachelor’s degree in exercise physiology at Missouri in 2022.
While earning his master’s degree, Kippenhan served as an immersive student training student for the Missouri athletics department. There worked with the Tigers men’s and women’s basketball teams and the Missouri athletic training staff. Kippenhan also was an athletic training student at Marquette in the final year of his bachelor’s degree. He worked with the Golden Eagles women’s lacrosse, men’s and women’s tennis, and men’s and women’s track and field programs.
Berthiaume is no stranger to Clarksville, earning her bachelor’s degree in health and human performance from Austin Peay in 2019. She also returned to Clarksville in June 2022, joined the STAR Physical Therapy staff, and oversaw the student-athletes at West Creek High School. Berthiaume also assisted her alma mater by providing services to the governor’s men’s and women’s tennis teams this past season.
After graduating from Austin Peay State University, Berthiaume continued her education in South Carolina, where she earned her master’s degree in athletic training in May 2022. She worked with South Carolina’s football and track and field programs and ROTC unit. Berthiaume also spent parts of the 2021-22 athletic season at Columbia College and Coastal Carolina.
“I’m thrilled to be adding Sooji and Noah to our staff,” said Assistant Director of Athletics Lauren Norton. “Both of them will help us continue to elevate the high-quality care we provide to our student-athletes. They understand the pursuit of excellence and have the drive to help our student-athletes succeed on and off the field.”
Spencer joins APSU’s sports performance staff and will lead the baseball and softball programs. He was on the Governors’ staff last season, assisting with the coverage of those teams, which he will now oversee. Spencer came to Clarksville after two seasons at Oklahoma State, where he worked with the Cowboys’ football program under the guidance of head strength and conditioning coach Rob Glass.
A graduate of Oklahoma Christian University, he obtained his bachelor’s degree in sports management in 2020. The Stillwater native was a pitcher for the Eagles for four seasons and joined OCU’s strength and conditioning staff as an intern during his senior year.
“We are incredibly fortunate to have Abe as part of our staff,” said Assistant Director of Athletics Chris Campbell. “His expertise and experience in Sports Performance will greatly enhance our department and propel us to new levels of success. We deeply appreciate the value that Abe brings to our team and the positive impact he will have on our overall performance.”
Williams will work with the Governors volleyball and women’s golf programs while assisting with both basketball teams. She comes to Clarksville after finishing a decorated basketball career at West Alabama. In addition, she was a member of the West Alabama strength and conditioning staff for two years as a student intern and then as a graduate assistant. She worked with the APSU men’s and women’s track and field teams last year as a graduate assistant.
A point guard for the Tigers women’s basketball team, Williams was a four-time Gulf South Conference All-Academic Honor Roll member and led the conference in assists as a senior in 2022-23, averaging 5.8 assists per game. She completed her bachelor’s degree in exercise science at West Alabama in 2022.
“We are excited to bring Jala on staff as our Assistant Director of Sports Performance,” said Campbell. “Her enthusiasm and knowledge will help lead our athletes in the right direction as they prepare for competition.”
