ROMEOVILLE, Ill. - Lewis University Director of Athletics John Planek announced on Friday (July 8) the hiring of Ed Schaffer as the Assistant Director of Athletics for Compliance at Lewis. Schaffer has spent the past two years as Lewis' Student Success Coordinator-Athletics Specialist in the Academic Services department.
"Over the last two years, I've been able to work with Dr. Planek, the student-athletes, coaches and staff, and I can see the dedication and commitment from everyone involved," Schaffer said. "I'm very excited about this opportunity and look forward to helping Lewis sustain its long tradition of athletic and academic success."
"Ed Schaffer's return to the Lewis Intercollegiate Athletic Department is well earned," Planek said. "Ed has been a stalwart in his role as Academic Advisor for student-athletes the last two years. He will be a valuable colleague as he begins his new role as Director of Compliance."
In his time at Lewis, Schaffer has helped Lewis athletes achieve great things in the classroom. In 2021 the Flyers set school record with 272 Academic All-GLVC athletes and followed that up with 269 this year (3.3 GPA). Lewis had 14 teams earn Team Academic All-GLVC awards (3.3 GPA) and had 13 earn the award last year. Among his responsibilities were academic advising, grade monitoring and NCAA academic eligibility for approximately 475 student-athletes.
Prior to his arrival at Lewis in January 2021, Schaffer was the Sports Information Liaison at the City Colleges of Chicago from 2013-20. In addition to handling the sports information duties for 23 sports at six colleges, Schaffer also provided compliance and academic eligibility training to the athletic directors.
Before City Colleges of Chicago, Schaffer spent eight years at Prairie State College in Chicago Heights. He was the Coordinator of Sports Information and Academic Mentoring from 2005-09 before being named the Director of Athletics and Physical Education, where he oversaw all aspects of an 11-sport department, including eligibility, budgeting, scheduling, game-day administration and fundraising from 2009-13.
From 2000-05, Schaffer was the Sports Information Director at University of St. Francis in Joliet. He joined the USF staff after a five-year stint as Lewis' Assistant Sports Information Director (1995-2000).
Schaffer got his start in collegiate athletics in 1990 when he was hired as the Sports Information Director at Triton College in River Grove.
A graduate of the University of Illinois, Schaffer received a master's degree in Education from Lewis.
