Carissa Cessna began her role as the Assistant AD for Compliance & Academic Services at Missouri Southern in January of 2024.
Previously, Cessna served as the Senior Woman Administrator and Director of Compliance & Eligibility at NCAA Division III institution, Thiel College. She began that role in January of 2020. Cessna also served as the Interim Assistant Athletic Director of Budgeting at the institution from June-September 2022.
In addition to her role in administration, Cessna served as Thiel’s men’s and women’s cross country coach, as well as the distance coach for the College’s track & field programs beginning in the Fall of 2018. While there, she coached 3 Presidents Athletic Conference XC Honorable Mentions, 23 All-PAC Team for indoor and outdoor track, and 9 school records.
She has also served as an adjunct professor, teaching courses in exercise science and sport management, since January 2019.
Prior to arriving at Thiel, Cessna spent three years as the assistant cross country and track & field coach at National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) member school Hannibal-LaGrange University, her alma mater. During her time at Hannibal-LaGrange, Cessna coached 15 school-record breakers, including six individual American Midwest Conference (AMC) champions.
Cessna also served Hannibal-LaGrange as the Director of the Mabee Sports Complex and as an adjunct professor of Exercise Science. She also spent four years at Eastern Mennonite University as the assistant cross country and track & field coach. At EMU, she mentored three Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) individual champions.
She earned a bachelor’s degree in physical education/health from Hannibal-LaGrange University in 2011 before completing a master’s degree in sports management from Liberty University in 2016.
Carissa and her Husband Jim reside in Carthage, MO with their dog Kodie.
