Rhyan Connolly’s stepping up in a big way.
The Holly Springs, Georgia native and South Alabama grad student has officially been named President of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). Before joining South, she played soccer at East Tennessee State and was already pretty active in SAAC over there. She’s got the resume to back it up too — she was part of the 2024 NCAA Careers in Sport Forum and served as SAAC’s Campus Engagement Chair this past year.
Now in her new role, Connolly’s got a full plate. She’ll be working to build tighter connections between student-athletes and the Mobile community, increase involvement on campus, and help bring everyone together within South Alabama Athletics. She’ll also sit on the Intercollegiate Athletics Council and lead around 40 student-athletes as they push forward SAAC’s mission of uplifting the student-athlete experience across campus and beyond.
She’s taking over for Jordan Rosier, who held the spot for two years.
“I’m really honored to take on this role,” Connolly said. “It means a lot to have the trust of the athletic department. I’m excited to work with student-athletes who are passionate about getting involved. We finished third in the NCAA for community service hours last semester, and I know we can keep that momentum going.”
Connolly also plans to help athletes stay more involved in campus events and support each other across different sports. “We all have crazy schedules,” she said. “But I think if we show up for each other, it’ll only make South Alabama’s culture even stronger.”
Assistant AD Ty Singletary said it best: “Rhyan made an impact the moment she got here. With her leadership experience, she was the obvious choice.”
Big things ahead for Connolly and South Alabama Athletics.
