Now Gina Bianchi and Jenny Yopp have more in common than their status as young people determined to build a stronger Illinois State athletics program. Yopp followed Redbird legend Jill Hutchison in 1999 as head basketball coach. Bianchi has assumed Hutchisons most recent role in the departments development office, working with alumni athletes in the Varsity-I Club.
After 35 years at Illinois State as a coach and administrator, Hutchison is taking retirement. She is pleased to turn the Varsity-I reins over to Bianchi, who joins the Redbird athletics development team with assistant athletics director Todd Reeser, annual giving coordinator Pad McMeel and fund steward Pat Cattron.
Gina has a great feel for where weve been and who we are at Illinois State, said Hutchison, who won 461 games in 28 seasons as head basketball coach before joining the athletics development staff in 1999. She will do a great job of staying in touch with our alumni and keeping them in touch with each other.
Bianchis experience and expertise has Reeser excited.
Ginas proven success in working with people and her attention to detail regarding events are qualities we believe are a great fit for our team, said Reeser. Were confident she will continue the great things Jill did for us.
Working with the Varsity-I Club, Hutchison established regular events, elevated communication and promoted projects like Varsity-I and the ISU Credit Union partnering to support the Senior Banquet.
Bianchi hopes to keep the Varsity-I Club ball rolling for Redbird athletics.
We want to expand what Jill has built, said Bianchi. If we can work hard and show some creativity, we can do that.
Bianchi, who played softball at Millikin University, joined the Redbirds academic support staff in 1996. She helped Jane Fulton create a model program for meeting student-athlete needs for the past six years. A native of Granville, Ill., she managed operations at the Karin L. Bone Athletics Study Center, helping to establish and develop life skills and career development programs for student-athletes while assisting with academic support and tutoring programs.
The 1993 Millikin graduate has a masters degree in physical education from Illinois State with an emphasis on athletics administration.
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