The University of Oklahoma's Larry Naifeh of the has joined College Rugby Association of America (CRAA) newly formed Advisory Board tasked with providing leadership and steering the vision for the future of College Rugby in America.

Naifeh serves as Executive Associate Athletic Director at the University of Oklahoma, a career that began in 1986 as a part of OU’s Legal Counsel staff. Naifeh also coached the University of Oklahoma rugby team and the Collegiate All Americans. He joins Rob Dunn, Deputy Director of Athletics at the US Naval Academy, Charles Anderson, Assistant Director of Competitive Sports, Ohio State University, and Marty Storti, Senior Associate Director of Athletics, Saint Mary’s College.

The CRAA Advisory Committee convened their first meeting this past week spending much of their time identifying strategies on how to create more legitimacy for rugby on college campuses and provided some valuable insight on competition structure and improving the student-athlete experience.

All four members of the committee provided some much-needed non-rugby input into how high-level collegiate rugby is played and run, especially when it comes to balancing conference play versus playoff qualification, and who has a role in mapping out how the season should be played.

This is all part of the CRAA's efforts to raise the profile of the collegiate game by raising standards, broadening relationships on college campuses, and enhancing the student-athlete experience. The CRAA is seeking to expand the Advisory Board and encourages all interest candidates and nominees forwarded to kbattle@usa.rugby.

Current CRAA Advisory Council Members:

Larry Naifeh

In his 25th year with the University of Oklahoma is Executive Associate Athletics Director Larry Naifeh. He began his service to the University in January 1986 as a member of OU's legal counsel staff.

Naifeh's association with the athletics department began in September 1991, when he was named compliance officer. Twice since May 1996, Naifeh has served the University as interim athletics director.

For the past several years, Naifeh's areas of responsibility for the athletics department include contracts and other legal issues, capital improvement projects and funding, fiscal and strategic planning, facilities and event operations, risk management, the men's and women's golf programs, and special projects.

The Athletic Department's recent $200,000,000-plus in capital improvement projects for all sports have been coordinated and supervised by Naifeh and have included the expansion and renovation projects at the Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium; the Barry Switzer Center; the Lloyd Noble Center team facilities and additions; the Everest Indoor Training Center; the McCasland Field House; the Charlie Coe Center for Golf; John Jacobs Track; Mosier Indoor; the Bud Wilkinson football team and practice facilities; the Wadley Indoor Tennis facility as well as other projects for the soccer, tennis, volleyball, wrestling, softball, baseball, rowing, and gymnastics programs.

Naifeh was the recipient of the 2009 All-American Football Foundation Outstanding Executive Associate Athletics Director Award.

Naifeh came to OU after serving seven years as assistant city attorney for the City of Oklahoma City. He is a member of the Oklahoma Bar Association, the Cleveland County Bar Association, the National Association of College and University Attorneys, and is a past chairman of Cleveland County Court Appointed Special Advocates.

A graduate of the University of Oklahoma, Naifeh holds a bachelor's degree in law enforcement administration and a juris doctorate. While in college, he was a member of Alpha Tau Omega social fraternity, Phi Eta Sigma Honor Society and Phi Beta Kappa, and was a Robert Dean Bass Scholar.

A member of the Oklahoma Rugby Club, Naifeh has coached the U.S. Western Territory Rugby Team to eight (8) National Championships. In 2002, Naifeh served as the National Team Coach for the United States Collegiate All-American National Team on a winning tour of South Africa.

Naifeh's family includes his wife, Mary, daughter Tyson, daughter Jessica and son-in-law Josh Blyden, and granddaughters Isabelle Grace and Evelyn Rose Blyden.

Rob Dunn

Robb Dunn serves as the Deputy Director of Athletics Administration and Club Sports for the US Naval Academy. He is the sport administrator for football and women's golf and also coordinates football team travel and Navy's participation in neutral site and postseason bowl games, including Army-Navy and the 2012 Emerald Isle Classic in Dublin, Ireland. In addition, he has oversight of the Naval Academy's competitive intercollegiate Club Sports program, including nationally recognized teams like Boxing, Hockey, Rugby, and Triathlon.

Previous responsibilities at NAAA, included serving as the Executive Director of the Blue-N*-Gold, the membership component of the Naval Academy Athletic Association. Under his direction, contributions to the Blue-N*-Gold tripled during his tenure.

Dunn served on the NCAA Men's Gymnastics Committee from 2006 to 2012, including a three-year stint as chair, 2009-2012. He also coordinated Navy's responsibilities as host institution for the 2009 Frozen Four, the NCAA Division I Hockey Championship, in Washington, DC.

Prior to Navy, Dunn spent six years working at the College of William & Mary, where he started as Assistant Athletic Director for Facilities & Operations before being promoted to Associate Athletic Director for Internal Operations in 2004. Before his time in Williamsburg, he worked at the University of Michigan as a Facilities and Game Management Supervisor, Project Administrator in the Sport Facilities Research Laboratory, Lecturer/Graduate Student Instructor and Yost Arena Building Supervisor. He also served as an Olympic Stadium Cluster Supervisor for the 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta.

Dunn earned his master's degree in kinesiology from the University of Michigan in 1994 and his bachelor's degree in history from the University of California at Berkeley in 1993. He has also completed coursework towards his doctorate in urban, technological and environmental planning through the University of Michigan.

Dunn currently lives in Annapolis with his wife, Jaime, and their daughters, Nora and Kate.

Marty Storti

Marty Storti is a Saint Mary's College alum—BA '85, MA ’89— and is now senior associate director of Athletics for administration at Saint Mary’s.

He has a foundation of work experience that stemmed from coaching and helped him advance to his current position. He currently oversees several athletic department programs, including campus recreation (which includes the very successful men's rugby program), strength and conditioning, sport medicine, and athletic camps. Storti helps provide the programs’ strategic plan and vision, while being realistic about resources.

Charles Anderson

Charles D. Anderson is currently the Assistant Director of Competitive Sports within the office of Student Life at Ohio State University.

He has been in this role since 2008. Prior to joining Ohio State, Charles worked as a Recreation Supervisor for the City of Columbus. Leading up to that role, he served as an Assistant Director of Intramural and Club Sports at the University of Illinois. Charles obtained a Master’s Degree in Organizational Management from Mount Vernon Nazarene University and a Bachelor’s Degree in Recreation Management from Ohio University.