Kelly Anderson Diercks, who has more than 16 years of administrative experience at the NCAA DIII level, is in her fourth year as Director of Athletics at the College of Saint Benedict.
Since she arrived, Saint Benedict has finished second in 2023-24, 2022-23 and third in 2021-22 in the All-MIAC Trophy race as the Bennies have continued to shine as a department. In the MIAC, Saint Ben's finished tied for first in softball, which won its first title since 1994, and was second in volleyball and indoor track and field while placing third in outdoor track and field. CSB was fourth in soccer, fifth in golf and basketball, and sixth in tennis, hockey and swim and dive. In addition, CSB lacrosse won a second straight title in the Midwest LaCrosse Conference and will transition to the WIAC in 2025.
Diercks started her tenure as CSB's Athletic Director on July 1, 2021. She joined the CSB athletic department after an impressive tenure at Augsburg University in Minneapolis, where she served as an Associate Athletic Director and Senior Woman Administrator.
She was chosen as the athletic department's leader for her vision, experience in an athletic administration role and knowledge of the value of women's athletics. Diercks joined the CSB athletic department after 13 years at Augsburg, where she oversaw the sports information department and human resources and served as the deputy Title IX officer for athletics. While at Augsburg she served as a key member of committees, facilitated and managed halftime promotions for corporate sponsors, assisted with facility improvements at Augsburg's Si Melby Hall and the Augsburg Ice Arena and handled event management for numerous MIAC and NCAA championships.
Diercks was responsible for compliance and eligibility for Augsburg's 22 varsity sports programs and more than 450 student-athletes. She managed five sport programs and worked with the athletic director to develop a five-year staffing plan, leading to an increase of eight FTE and 10 graduate assistant coaches. She also played a key role in establishing women's lacrosse as a varsity sport at Augsburg.
For three years, Diercks served as Midwest Lacrosse Conference/Midwest Women's Lacrosse Conference Commissioner until 2024. She oversaw the conference office operations for a six-team men's league and an eight-team women's league.
Prior to her role at Augsburg, Diercks served as the Assistant Director at the MIAC where she led the 25th Anniversary of Women's Athletics Committee and served as part of an event management team for MIAC Championships from 2006-08. She is a member of Women Leaders in College Sports, the National Association of Division III Athletic Administrators, and the College Sports Communicators (formerly CoSIDA).
Diercks and her husband, Matt, have three children.
