ACU vice president for athletics
Zack Lassiter announced the promotion of three outstanding employees within the program's executive staff on Thursday.
Dr.
Paul Weir, who has served as the deputy athletic director and chief operation officer, will move into a more externally focused leadership role as associate vice president and chief revenue officer.
Weir will direct ACU's fundraising efforts, as well as the ticketing, marketing, and communication departments. Prior to living in Abilene, Weir was the director of athletics at Eastern New Mexico from 2021-2023.
Before moving to administration, Weir spent 17 years as a college basketball coach including head coaching stints at New Mexico State (2016-2017), and New Mexico (2017-2021). During his career, Weir was a part of eight conference championship teams, coached in seven NCAA Tournaments, won a gold and bronze medal in the FIBA Under-19 World Cup with Canada and coached 13 future NBA players.
Claire (Ferrell) Rawlins has been promoted to executive assistant athletic director and senior woman administrator (SWA) and will oversee academics, compliance and the overall success of our student-athletes. Rawlins began working in ACU Athletics' academic department in 2022 and rose to the position of assistant athletic director for academics and student-athlete development in 2024.
Bryan Bruning ('08) was hired in 2024 as associate athletic director for business operations and will now take on an expanded role as executive associate athletic director for internal operations. Bruning will continue to manage business operations, and now adds responsibilities for facilities, game management, equipment, and human resources.
"This transition reflects our strong commitment to promoting from within and investing in the remarkable talent we've cultivated here at ACU," said Lassiter. "Our mission is unique, and it's leaders like these who help us stay true to it while boldly advancing our vision.
"Each of these individuals brings extraordinary dedication, experience, and leadership to their new responsibilities, and I have full confidence in their ability to help lead our department into a bright and successful future."
