nacda
May 8, 2001

Ferrin Chosen as Recipient Of the 20th NACDA/NIT Award

CLEVELAND - Arnie Ferrin, former director of athletics at the University of Utah, has been chosen by the National Invitation Tournament to be the recipient of the 20th NACDA/NIT Athletics Directors Award.

Ferrin will receive his award at the 36th Annual Convention of the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), June 10-13. The ceremony will be held on Monday, June 11, at the James J. Corbett Awards Luncheon. The Convention is being held at the Little and Grand America Hotels in Salt Lake City, Utah.

During Ferrin's eight-year tenure, which concluded in 1985, the Utes won eight NCAA or Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) championship events. This included four consecutive women's gymnastics crowns. Additionally, the Utes won multiple conference championships.

Utah also hosted numerous national championship events under Ferrin's direction, including the 1979 NCAA Men's Final Four; 1981 NCAA Skiing Championships; 1981 AIAW Gymnastics Championships and the 1982 and 1983 NCAA Women's Gymnastics Championships.

The first four-time All-American in Utah basketball history, Ferrin helped lead the Utes to NCAA title in 1944 and the NIT crown in 1947. He played three seasons with the NBA's Minneapolis Lakers (1949-51), helping them win championships in 1949 and 1951.

A member of the NCAA Division I Basketball Committee, Ferrin worked in private business after playing professionally. He returned to campus in 1969 when he was appointed director of regional programs for the University of Utah Alumni Association. He served in that capacity until 1971, when he was named general manager of the American Basketball Association's (ABA) Utah Stars. Ferrin returned to his alma mater in 1974 as an assistant to the vice president for university relations, a position he held until he was appointed AD in May of 1976.

On receiving word of this award, Ferrin said, "As I review the list of former honorees, these are the men who shaped the growth of intercollegiate athletics. I am flattered to be included with them. Besides being my friends, many are my heroes and my exemplars. Imagine being honored by the National Invitation Tournament and NACDA. Athletics, and basketball in particular, has been such an important part of my life. I wonder what might have changed in my career and the game itself without the genesis of this tournament and NACDA."

Past winners of the NACDA/NIT Athletics Directors Award and their affiliation at the time:

2000 - Gary Cunningham, director of athletics, University of California-Santa Barbara
1999 - Jack Lengyel, director of athletics, U.S. Naval Academy
1998 - Frank Rienzo, senior director of athletics, Georgetown University
1997 - Glen Tuckett, director of athletics, Brigham Young University
1996 - John Kaiser, director of athletics, St. John's University
1995 - Carl James, commissioner, Big Eight Conference
1994 - Scott Whitelaw, commissioner, Eastern College Athletic Conference
1993 - Tom Butters, director of athletics, Duke University
1992 - C.M. Newton, director of athletics, University of Kentucky
1991 - Bill Flynn, director of athletics, Boston College
1990 - Pete Carlesimo, executive director, National Invitation Tournament
1989 - Carl Maddox, director of athletics, Mississippi State University
1988 - Bob Woodruff, director of athletics, University of Tennessee
1987 - Ken Norton, director of athletics, Manhattan College
1986 - Bill Orwig, director of athletics, Indiana University
1985 - Ben Carnevale, director of athletics, College of William & Mary
1984 - Ray Meyer, director of athletics, DePaul University
1983 - Walter McLaughlin, director of athletics, St. John's University
1982 - Bud Jack, director of athletics, University of Utah

Contact: Laurie Garrison
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