Steve Rodecap was Director of Athletics at Emporia State on August 5, 2025. He is just the fifth Athletic Director at Emporia State since 1971.
He has had a major impact during his time with the Hornets moving from Assistant Athletic Director of Operations to Senior Associate Athletic Director in just two years. He served as the sport administrator for football, men’s and women’s basketball and softball, was Emporia State’s representative on the MIAA Basketball Tournament Committee and was a key part of the Hornets hosting the 2024 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field National Championships. Rodecap was a part of the hiring process for several athletic department positions including Hornet men’s basketball coach Tom Billeter and Lady Hornet coach MJ Baker, as well as the search committee for the ESU Foundation President. Additionally, he played an integral part in securing free general admission tickets to all 2025-2026 athletic events as part of the ESU Year of Celebration.
Rodecap spent the previous 20 years as the director of tennis at Marquette University. He guided the Golden Eagles men's team to a 262-201 record during his tenure, highlighted by a BIG EAST Conference tournament title. He led the squad to 14 winning seasons, four league championship match appearances and leaves as the program's all-time leader in career victories. The longest-tenured head coach at the time he left Marquette, Rodecap also led the women's team his final three seasons.
He had several roles on the national level as well. Rodecap served on the Division I Men’s and Women’s Tennis Committee from 2017-21 and was nominated as the Chair of the Division I Men’s and Women’s Tennis Committee for the NCAA and was the Co-Chair of the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (IT) Rules Committee.
Rodecap joined the Marquette program after a successful four-year stint as the head coach at Northern Illinois. Rodecap guided the program to a runner-up finish at the Mid-American Conference Tournament and led the NIU men's tennis program to the most wins since 1996-97.
Prior to his tenure at NIU, Rodecap served as an assistant coach at Texas Christian University, where he led the Horned Frogs to the second round of the NCAA Regional Championships.
A standout player in his own right at Ball State University from 1992-96, the Anderson, Ind. native helped BSU to a trio of Mid-American Conference Championships during his playing days. Following his playing days, Rodecap remained at Ball State as a graduate assistant for coach Bill Richards. Over the next two seasons BSU won two more conference titles.
Rodecap and his wife, Emily, have three children: Patrick, Missouri and Noah.
