Casey Finnell, Ed.D - Director of Student-Athlete Leadership Development - Staff Directory

Staff Directory

Casey Finnell, Ed.D

Title:
Director of Student-Athlete Leadership Development
Email:

Casey Finnell joined Kansas Athletics in November of 2022 as the Director of Student-Athlete Development after eight years at Lindenwood University where she served as Assistant Director, Academic Success. As part of her current role, Finnell manages the Leadership Academy (transition program for new Jayhawks), Emerging Leaders Retreat (immersive development program Jayhawks selected by their coaches), team workshops, and the Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). Finnell also led a group of Jayhawks on the first International Service & Leadership Development trip to the Dominican Republic in 2024.

At Lindenwood, Finnell oversaw the academic support and student-athlete development services for over 600 student-athletes, supervised the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), and also ran the Athlete Mentor Program (AMP), which she created to help strengthen ties across teams by connecting incoming freshmen student-athletes with upperclassmen peer mentors.

Prior to her arrival at Lindenwood University, Finnell spent two years at Stephen F. Austin State University where she served as the tutor coordinator, oversaw academic support services for several Olympic sports, and taught a University Experience class for freshmen. Finnell got her start in athletics academic support services and administration at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

Finnell has been active at a national level as well, facilitating at the NCAA Student-Athlete Leadership Forum, serving as an active member of the National Association of Academic and Student-Athlete Development Professionals (N4A), Women Leaders in Sports (WLS), and most recently the Association for Talent Development (ATD). She is a graduate of the NCAA’s Effective Facilitation Workshop, WLS Institute for Advancement, and N4A’s Professional Development Institute.

Finnell began her professional career in intercollegiate athletics at her alma mater, Kansas State University, where she was she transitioned from letter-winning student-athlete to assistant coach for the NCAA Division I Equestrian Team for five seasons. Finnell coached the 2012 Most Outstanding Player on the Flat at the National Collegiate Equestrian Association National Championships and earned a nomination for the Coach of the Year award that same year.

Finnell earned both her Bachelor of Arts and Master of Science in Counseling and Student Development from Kansas State. In 2022, she completed her Doctorate of Education in Higher Education Administration with an emphasis in Instructional Leadership from Lindenwood University.