Former Dougherty school chief Joshua Murfree to head athletics at Fort Valley State University

FORT VALLEY — Former Dougherty County School Superintendent Joshua Murfree has been named director of intercollegiate athletics at Fort Valley State University.

Fort Valley State President Ivelaw Lloyd Griffith announced the appointment Friday, along with those of four others who are taking leadership positions as the university.

In addition to Murfree, Griffith tapped Lynn McCraney as vice president for student success and enrollment management, Charles Jones as chief legal officer and director of government relations, Gary Miller as chief information officer, and Frank Mahitab as director of the Hunt Memorial Library.

With the permanent appointments, Griffith said he was stabilizing and strengthening his leadership team to ensure excellence within the university, including community outreach, athletics, information technology and student recruitment.

“I am very pleased to present these appointees to our campus community and supporters,” Griffith said. “Making key leadership appointments is one of my priorities because it will allow us to move forward with several key initiatives.

According to the Fort Valley State news release, Murfree plans to build a comprehensive, competitive and self-sustained athletic program where student-athletes are placed in the right position to learn, succeed, achieve and win.

Murfree spent nearly three years as the DCSS superintendent, taking over for Sally Whatley in 2010. During his tenure he inherited a CRCT cheating scandal in which the state accused 49 teachers and administrators of manipulating test scores, shaking the system to its foundation.

The fall out resulted in the early retirements, resignations or reassignments of nearly 20 educators. As many as 20 more were cleared by administrative tribunals or by the state’s Professional Standards Commission. The PSC has to render decisions on the remainder of the case files that remain in its possession.

However, not all of the system’s troubles were inherited.

in early 2012, the Georgia Department of Education launched a probe in to the district’s Title I expenditures that led to more than $700,000 in reimbursements to the state along with the systems being placed at “High Risk” status. In December of that year Murfree stepped down with six months remaining on his contract.

In addition to his time as Dougherty County school chief, Murfree is a former executive assistant to the president, administrative chief of staff and director of athletics at Albany State University, where he also served as interim vice president of the Office of Enrollment Management and Student Affairs. The former chairman of the ASU Department of Psychology, Sociology and Social Work is a former tenured professor at ASU.

Murfree’s appointment at FVSU comes as the Dougherty County Board of Education is poised to name his permanent successor as school superintendent. The board has named two finalists — Butch Mosely, who has led the system as interim school chief since Murfree’s departure, and Colquitt County School System Superintendent Samuel DePaul.

The School Board is expected to make a decision between the two candidates Monday.