UTSA Deputy Athletic Director Liz Dalton will leave theuniversity to become St. Mary’s University’s first full-time athletic directoron Feb. 11, 2013.

The Rattlers’ baseball coach, Charlie Migl, served as boththe athletic director and head baseball coach.

“This is a huge loss for UTSA. I’ve known her since shewas a student athlete at Texas A&M, but this is a great step for her,” saidLynn Hickey, Dalton’s longtime mentor and boss of 12 and half years.

Dalton, a McArthur High School alumna, played soccer forTexas A&M and then joined the Aggies’ athletic staff after graduation.Dalton, then, worked for the Notre Dame athletic department as a footballadministrator from 1997-2000 before she joined the Roadrunners’ staff in 2000.

“When we were starting football, the networking she hadand the knowledge she had about the little pieces of what you did to have aprogram, were outstanding,” Hickey said.

Will Dalton bring a football team to St. Mary’s? Daltoncomes from a football background and was an integral part of bringing majorcollege football to UTSA.

“Our plan for St. Mary’s, for however many years, is to bethe best division II program in the country. That’s what our focus will beright now,” Dalton said.

In her new position, she will oversee 14 division II men’sand women’s athletic teams: baseball, basketball, cheerleading, dance, crosscountry, golf, soccer, tennis and volleyball.

St. Mary’s is currently constructing a new $16 millionsports complex.

“She’s going to bring [St. Mary’s] a tremendous amount ofknowledge and a great work ethic,” Hickey said.

Dalton plans to replicate the work she did while at UTSA.

“What I’m most proudest of is taking care of people. Wehave taken care of our student athletes. We’ve recruited and been able to keepan unbelievable staff. It’s always about the student athlete and then ourcoaches,” Dalton said.