A new era is beginning for Saluki Athletics. With current Dawg Pound president Dylan Chambers graduating, the group has found its next leader: Corey Crombar.

Crombar is a rising sophomore studying sports administration with a minor in business and administration. He is a Chancellor’s Scholar and a member of the University Honors Program. Outside of the Dawg Pound, he is an orientation leader for New Student Programs, director of academic affairs for the Undergraduate Student Government and a sponsor for the Carbondale Community High School Fellowship of Christian Athletes. 

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“I was really excited to get moving, continue the legacy that’s been built,” Crombar said. “It’s great. I’m really excited to start moving forward with my new board. We’ve got great ideas, great themes coming and a really exciting couple of sports seasons coming up. Next year should be a blast.” 

Chambers says handing over the reigns to Crombar is “bittersweet.”

“This is something that I spent a lot of time revamping…and focusing on making sure that it was going to be set up for success after me,” Chambers said. “To sum it up, I really think that this is something that I wouldn’t say it built me, but I felt like it had brought me a longer way than I thought it ever would.” 

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The Dawg Pound is SIU’s largest registered student organization. It is the student section for all fifteen athletic teams. Members travel in support of the athletes, complete community service projects and have partnerships with local businesses. 

“I think all the people should be really excited and eager to kind of see the life without Dylan Chambers or the life without Tyler Lawrence or Madison Giltner or any of those people that were involved with it in the very beginning,” Chambers said. “I think a new era is exciting.” 

A ceremony was held on Saturday in Saluki Stadium Suite to announce the president-select. 

“We are proud and excited about Corey and the incoming board members,” Chambers said. “Very deserving with all of the hard work that he has already done and what he will do. He will leave a legacy.” 

In addition to his long list of accomplishments at Southern, Crombar earned his qualifications before coming to SIU. 

“I was the president of my high school pep club called Bleacher Bums at Carbondale high school,” Crombar said. “It was a super fun experience. I wanted to continue that at the collegiate level.” 

He said it was a “vivid experience” that he “definitely won’t forget.” 

He calls the Dawg Pound “the best student section in the Missouri Valley Conference.” 

Chambers said Crombar’s uncle introduced them to each other while Crombar was still in high school. He was told that Crombar was interested in getting involved with the Dawg Pound, so Chambers and his team went to watch him in action. 

“It’s kind of like a recruiting tactic, going there and seeing how Corey was really just engaged…how many of them were standing during the game and what they did that day…different stuff like that,” he said. “I wanted to see his leadership side on the front end, but then also get him involved with the back end with us.” 

After the game, Chambers approached Crombar and invited him to watch SIU play. 

“He showed up and he helped with our giveaways…He stood down there with us at the bottom of the student section for basketball and he hung out and enjoyed his time,” Chambers said. “[It] kind of got him involved early.” 

Choosing the next Dawg Pound president involved an application and interview process. Chambers said he believes Crombar’s energy is what helped him stand out. 

“That makes me excited about where the Dawg Pound will go,” he said. “He’s energized. He showed exactly what I was looking for and that excited me that I would be able to know that it was going to be left in the right hands.” 

Crombar will not be alone in this process either. His team consists of freshman Emma Buesing as vice president, sophomore Zuzana Gaik as chief of operations, freshman Allison DiLallo as chief finance officer, freshman Malayna Russell and sophomore Jacob Bryant as vice presidents of gameday operations and sophomore Chris Catron as vice president of member operations. 

“I’ve got a great board with great ideas,” he said. “Some things I can’t share quite yet but some things I’m ready to start implementing and some changes that are ready to be made. But a lot of great things have been built by this board that I’m ready to continue.” 

He credits his parents and the current leadership staff for helping him throughout this transition. 

“Dylan and Tyler have done a wonderful job,” he said. “My parents [are] always there for just general support. They don’t know a whole lot about the insider stuff, but Dylan and Tyler have done a wonderful job preparing me for this role and just guiding me through this year and past month and getting me ready to fill up shoes that need to be filled.” 

Chambers said he plans to continue helping guide the Dawg Pound even after he graduates. 

“I have told them that I will be around as much as possible…on the back end,” he said. “I am more than happy to help them with whatever they’re needing.”

While he is sad to let it go, he is also thrilled for the future. 

“It’s hard to kind of give something up once you’ve been around it for so long or have had a lot of different times and stuff with it, but it’s been fun,” he said. “It’s been a great journey. I’m excited for my next piece or my next projects.” 

Crombar said the Dawg Pound means “everything” to him. 

“Wherever sports teams are playing, we support. The Dawg Pound wins games,” he said. “So it really means a lot to be part of Saluki Athletics and the connections that I’ve built and continue to build are something special that you can’t even put words into. It’s just great. I’m super excited to get rolling and this has been a wonderful experience. I’m ready for the next three.” 

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