A relationship that took shape during his time as a student in the University of South Carolina’s Master of Sport and Entertainment Management (MSEM) has grown, culminating in Micah Kurtz being chosen as the new president of Oak Hill Academy, one of the most prominent private secondary schools in the United States.

"I am deeply honored to be chosen to lead this esteemed school into its next chapter. A testament to past leadership, Oak Hill has a world class staff in place and no school in the world has a better alumni group or brand than Oak Hill Academy. I am incredibly excited about the possibilities that lie ahead," Kurtz says.

Kurtz is recognized as one of the top educators and coaches in the country and is a leader in athletics and student development. He was named the National Strength Coach of the Year in 2016. He also serves as an advisor on youth athletic development for USA Basketball, the NFL and USA Football.

Kurtz served as a graduate assistant strength and conditioning coach for Gamecock Athletics while earning his master's degree at USC in 2007 and 2008, learning under Executive Director for Athlete Performance Billy Anderson.

"He is as good of a guy and a coach and a mentor as I could have ever asked for, and he’s continued to give me career advice," Kurtz says. "I also had a chance to see how Ray Tanner runs a program, and that was unbelievable. Just being able to observe and learn from them was a tremendous experience and it helped set me up for these new challenges in my professional career."

While at USC, Kurtz also learned from the world-renowned faculty in the Department of Sport and Entertainment Management. He reaped the benefits of the program’s focus on experiential learning, including an opportunity to work in operations for a NASCAR race in Las Vegas under the leadership of Professor Tom Regan.

Kurtz also met his wife, Whitney, while in Columbia. The couple are now parents of two and looking forward to visiting USC more often now that they will live in Virginia, closer than their previous Orlando home. He served there as director of sports performance and assistant director of athletics at Windermere Preparatory School.

Kurtz has over 20 years of experience in administration, teaching and coaching at the collegiate, private school and public school levels. He has served as a strength and conditioning consultant for Oak Hill, director of strength and conditioning for the U.S. Virgin Islands Men's & Women’s National Lacrosse Teams, and president of The Athlete Maker Sports Performance & Fitness Training.

"Looking back now, 15 or 16 years since I left South Carolina, I never thought I'd be in this position. I'll be reaching out to Billy, Ray Tanner, Dr. Regan, and others for more career advice," Kurtz says. "I don't think I absorbed as much information or asked as many questions as I could have. That's something I would advise students: always seek as much information as possible and keep learning because it's an exciting journey."