Leslie Poolman

Les Poolman was inducted into the inaugural College of Applied Human Sciences Hall of Fame in the fall of 2025. He was previously inducted into the College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences Hall of Fame in 2015.

A native of England, Poolman earned a bachelor’s degree from Keele University in Staffordshire before completing a master’s degree at West Virginia University. He later received a doctorate in higher education administration and physical education/athletic administration from WVU, where he also served as an assistant coach for the men’s soccer program.

Poolman began his administrative career as athletic director at Mount Holyoke College before joining Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pa., as director of athletics in 1988. During his 27-year tenure at Dickinson, he guided the expansion of athletic opportunities, oversaw major facility renovations and construction projects, and led the Red Devils to notable success across multiple sports. Under his leadership, Dickinson student-athletes earned 48 Centennial Conference championships across 12 sports, achieved national rankings, and captured a pair of NCAA individual track and field titles. In the 2013–14 Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup, Dickinson ranked 41st among NCAA Division III programs.

He added three varsity sports (women’s golf and both men’s and women’s squash) and served as interim squash coach during its inaugural season. He also coached women’s tennis from 1988 to 1990 and men’s soccer from 1992 to 1994.

Poolman was instrumental in the construction or renovation of several athletic facilities, including the 19-acre Dickinson Park, Biddle Field complex, MacPhail Baseball Field, Phyllis Joan Miller Memorial Field, the Durden Athletic Training Center, and the Kline Fitness Center, which houses the squash teams and serves the broader campus community.

Beyond athletics, he played an active role in campus life and governance, serving on committees such as the Student Wellness Advisory Group, Title IX Committee, Presidents Commission for Women, and Hillel Advisory Board. He also taught physical education and First-Year Seminars, and participated in international student trips to England and South America.

Poolman retired from Dickinson College in 2015.