University of Arizona Director of Athletics Dave Heeke announced today the appointment of Derek van der Merwe, as Assistant Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the Department of Athletics. van der Merwe will assist Heeke in day-to-day operations of the department and serve on Heeke's senior executive team. van der Merwe comes to Arizona from Austin Peay University where he serves as the Vice President for Advancement, Communication, & Strategic Initiatives following a two-year tenure as the school's Director of Athletics.

"I am thrilled that Derek has agreed to join our team at Arizona and I am confident that he will have an significant impact on our organization," said Heeke. "Derek has a profound understanding of what makes organizations successful and he has experience in all aspects of college athletics. His addition will result in immediate dividends for all of us."

At Austin Peay, van der Merwe serves on the Senior Leadership Team and President's Cabinet at one of Tennessee's fastest growing universities, overseeing fundraising, communications and marketing and all strategic initiatives. Prior to assuming his current role, van der Merwe served as Austin Peay's Director of Athletics from 2013-2015. van der Merwe served as Deputy Athletics Director and Chief Operating Officer at Central Michigan University, the culmination of almost two decades of service to the CMU athletics department following his graduation from the school. van der Merwe holds Masters and Bachelor's degrees from CMU and, after helping lead CMU to a Mid-American Conference championship in 1994, served as a football team co-captain his senior year.

"I am humbled by Dave's belief in me as this is an incredible opportunity to be a part of an athletics department and university on the rise," said van der Merwe. "I cannot wait to join the Arizona Athletics family and do my part to elevate our student-athletes, coaches and staff to even greater heights."