CONWAY, S.C. — Coastal Carolina University Athletics will honor one of its best people, Alise Svihla, by renaming the Student-Athlete Development and Engagement Department in her honor, Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics and University Recreation Chance Miller announced. 
 
The area will be known as the Alise Svihla Student-Athlete Development and Engagement Department moving forward.
 
Svihla (suh-vil-uh), who joined Coastal in May 2022, has courageously battled cancer since October 2022.
 
"Alise is such a joy to be around, and she truly makes us better every day," Miller said. "She has impacted so many student athletes, faculty, staff and community members over the years at multiple institutions and has attacked every day with inner strength and optimism despite the fight she has been waging with cancer. She's an inspiration to all of us and represents the best ideals of our University and college athletics." 
 
A 20-year, well-respected veteran of the collegiate academic scene, Svihla has waged her battle in the public eye, rarely missing work and bringing a positivity to the department that few possess. She took a leave from being on campus for treatment in late 2023 but never skipped a day at work and saw her student-athletes at CCU continue to excel in the classroom. 
 
In January 2025, she moved from academics to create the new student-athlete development and engagement department and launch the Teal Impact initiative, the department's first holistic student-athlete development program.
 
She also helped launch a new event, Hoops & Heels, to coincide with 2025's National Girls and Women in Sports Day. Svihla joined the Coastal staff in May 2022 as Associate AD for student-athlete academic services before being promoted into her current role in January 2025. During her time in academics, she led a department which had 20-straight semesters with a 3.0 GPA.
 
Svihla spent nearly five years at Virginia Tech as an associate director, student-athlete support services, over three years at South Carolina in several academic roles, six years at James Madison as the lead academic advisor for football in addition to her work with other sports and started her professional career with a three-year stint in academics at Florida State.
 
She earned a bachelor's degree in human development, family studies and related services and psychology from Virginia Tech in 2005 and also has a master's from Florida State in higher education administration and athletic administration from Florida State in 2007.