There are a lot of changes happening at Eastern University in 2025. With a new baseball field, the opening of Templeton Hall and many centennial projects, certain changes may have flown under the radar. One such change has been the hiring of a new Athletic Director, Brian “Bing” Bingaman.
Bingaman came to Eastern in 2020 as an Associate Athletic Director, as well as a strength and conditioning coach, working primarily with the football team. He has over 15 years of Division I experience with Strength and Conditioning, previously working at Duquesne University, LaSalle University and Saint Joseph’s University. He is replacing former Athletic Director Eric McNelley.
“When he [McNelley] invited me to come over and interview for the job I previously had, one of the things I said was I wanted to learn to be an Athletic Director,” Bingaman said. McNelley mentored him, as well as allowing him to run the department the way he wanted it to run. “He basically gave me six years of interviews for this job to give me an opportunity,” Bingaman said.
“He’s very good at keeping in touch with the athletes and providing them help in strength training and also being a resource for all athletes,” John Nolek, Eastern University football player, said.
On top of his work with students, Bingaman works closely with certain athletic clubs such as the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). SAAC is a group of student-athlete representatives from each school who provide input about NCAA rules and regulations. They act as the voice of the student-athlete. Bingaman will continue to be involved with SACC because he said that the club is very important to the structure of the NCAA as it is how the student-athletes get their vote.
As the Athletic Director, Bingaman will oversee all of the new additions to Eastern Athletics, including the completion of the new baseball diamond. He said that because of the turf baseball field, he is excited about the possibility of playing baseball more often and not postponing due to rain. “There’s nothing more stressful than trying to figure out if it’s going to rain or not…I mean, we should be able to play, unless it’s like a monsoon,” Bingaman said.
Bingaman is also very excited for the future of Eastern Athletics as a whole. He said that when he came to Eastern, he heard about all of the plans for the future of the school and was super excited. To have athletic teams who are thriving, like the football team, and to have a finished baseball field, is something that Bingaman said will show the trajectory of what, “Eastern Athletics is trying to be, while also enhancing our student-athlete experience, which I think is even more important.”
Liz Leonard, former Eastern student-athlete and now Game Management Graduate Assistant and Women’s Soccer Graduate Assistant said this about Bingaman: “Bing is truly a man of the people. He takes time to support everyone in the department and is always approachable. He is very hands-on with his leadership style, making sure those he oversees feel encouraged and equipped to do their best work.”