June 11, 2001
NACDA/Continental Airlines AD of the Year Winners Announced
Salt Lake City, Utah -- The National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) announced the 25 winners of the NACDA/ Continental Airlines AD of the Year Award (ADOY) today.
There are four geographic regions - northeast, southeast, central and west; while the membership is separated into six categories - Division I-A; Division I-AA/I-AAA combined; Division II, Division III; NAIA/Other Four-Year Institutions combined; and Junior/Community Colleges. One winner was selected in each of the six categories, along with one international winner for a total of 25 honorees. Winners were presented with their awards during the James J. Corbett Awards Luncheon at NACDA's 36th Annual Convention at the Little and Grand America Hotels in Salt Lake City, Utah.
NACDA Executive Director Mike Cleary says the ADOY Award is essential because it highlights the efforts of athletics directors at all levels for their commitment and positive contributions to campuses and their surrounding communities.
"Our Honors and Awards Committee recognized a need for an award such as the AD of the Year," said Cleary, who oversaw implementation of the program to allow all NACDA Officers and Honors and Awards Committee members to participate in the awards process, should they be elected. "The program brings to light the exceptional jobs done by athletics directors across the country. These 25 winners exemplify that, providing us with a group of outstanding athletics directors who excel at their jobs."
Winners of the 2000-01 NACDA/Continental Airlines AD of the Year Award are:
Division I-A
| Gene DeFilippo | Boston College | Northeast |
| Vince Dooley | University of Georgia | Southeast |
| Ron Guenther | University of Illinois | Central |
| Ted Leland | Stanford University | West |
Division I-AA/I-AAA
| William Cleary | Harvard University | Northeast |
| John Johnson | Weber State University | West |
| Judy Rose | University of North Carolina-Charlotte | Southeast |
| Bill Rowe | Southwest Missouri State University | Central |
Division II
| Pete Chapman | Missouri Western State College | Central |
| Carol Dunn | California State University-Los Angeles | West |
| Mary Gardner | Bloomsburg University | Northeast |
| Jim Harris | University of Alabama-Huntsville | Southeast |
Division III
| Paul Hoseth | Pacifici Lutheran University | West |
| Walter Johnson | North Central College | Central |
| Don Tencher | Rhode Island College | Northeast |
| Michael Walsh | Washington and Lee University | Southeast |
NAIA/Other Four-Year Institutions
| Gary Bays | Warner Southern College | Southeast |
| Al Bortke | University of Mary | Central |
| Carroll Land | Point Loma Nazarene University | West |
| Harold "Skip" Lord | Houghton College | Northeast |
Junior/Community College
| Mickey Englett | Okaloosa-Walton Community College | Southeast |
| Jay Harrington | Southwestern Illinois College | Central |
| Warren Hansen | Cuesta College | West |
| Doug Yarnall | Mitchell College | Northeast |
International
| Darwin Semotiuk | University of Western Ontario | |
All NACDA-member directors of athletics in the United States, Canada and Mexico who met the criteria were eligible for the award. Among the criteria were service as an AD for a minimum of five academic years; demonstration of commitment to higher education and student-athletes; continuous teamwork, loyalty and excellence; and the ability to inspire individuals or groups to high levels of accomplishments. Additionally, each AD's institution must have passed a compliance check through its appropriate governing body (i.e., NCAA, NAIA, etc.) in which the institution could not have been on probation or cited for a lack of institutional control within the last five years during the tenure of the current athletics director.
Nominators were NACDA-member directors of athletics, institutional presidents and conference commissioners. Special Selection Committees composed of current and former directors of athletics, present and past NCAA and NAIA presidents, current and former commissioners and other key athletics administrators voted on nominees for the award. A complete listing of Selection Committee members can be found on NACDA's web site at www.nacda.com.
NACDA, which is now in its 36th year, is the professional and educational association for more than 6,100 college athletics directors, associates, assistants and conference administrators at more than 1,600 institutions throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico. Through its series of management seminars, clinics and workshops and publication of the bi-monthly magazine Athletics Administration, NACDA offers educational opportunities to its members. More than 1,200 athletics administrators annually attend the NACDA Convention. NACDA also owns and operates the two preseason football games, the Kickoff and Pigskin Classics. Additionally, NACDA operates the Sears Directors' Cup program, which honors the all-sports champion in each of the NCAA Divisions - I, II and III - and the NAIA, for a total of four trophies.
