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June 17, 2002
NACDA AD of the Year Winners Announced
Dallas, Texas -- The National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) announced the 25 winners of the NACDA 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 37th Annual Convention at the Wyndham Anatole Hotel in Dallas, Texas. 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 2001-02 NACDA AD of the Year Award are: Division I-A
Division I-AA/I-AAA
Division II
Division III
NAIA/Other Four-Year Institutions
Junior/Community College
International
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 37th 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. A brief biography follows on each award winner.
Division I-A Bob Bowlsby, University of Iowa, Central Region Bob Bowlsby has been the director of athletics at the University of Iowa since 1991, where he heads a 24-sport program. In conjunction with the UI Foundation, he currently is involved in a multi-million dollar fund-raising campaign to build a new Hall of Fame and Visitors Center, an Olympic-sized swimming and diving facility, an indoor and outdoor tennis center and a soccer stadium. He is also working closely with the UI development department on a $25 million project for endowed scholarships. Bowlsby served on NACDA's Executive Committee from 1994-98 and is president of the Division 1A Athletic Directors' Association. He has been instrumental on numerous NCAA committees during his tenure, including the Financial Aid and Amateurism and the Special Committee to Review Financial Conditions in Athletics. He also has managed five NCAA Wrestling Championships as chair of the Wrestling Committee, and currently sits on the Men's Basketball Tournament Committee. He is a charter member of the Iowa Olympics Committee, is a member of the board of directors for the Iowa Games, the Iowa Scholarship Fund and the Honda Awards Program. Bowlsby has served on numerous Big Ten committees, was appointed as league representative to the NCAA Management Council and was selected to chair the Management Council in the first two years of its existence. DeLoss Dodds, University of Texas, West Region DeLoss Dodds has been the men's athletics director at the University of Texas for 21 years. During Dodds' tenure, the Longhorn football and basketball programs have flourished, with the football team competing in 14 bowl games and the basketball team making 12 NCAA appearances. The baseball team has made three consecutive NCAA tournaments, including its 28th trip to the College World Series two years ago. The swimming and diving team claimed its third straight NCAA title this year (eighth overall), while the tennis team has made 10 consecutive trips to the national tournament. The track and field program has produced six individual NCAA champions and has had six straight NCAA top 15 indoor and outdoor team finishes in the last four years. In all, Texas has won nine NCAA team titles and more than 70 conference crowns. Dodds orchestrated the creation of the Longhorn Foundation, which has grown to more than 11,000 members. He is currently involved in a $27 million renovation program for the Frank Erwin Center for basketball. Dodds, a former NACDA Executive Committee member (1993-97), has been on many NCAA committees, including the Men's Basketball Committee, and was a pivotal force in the development of the Big 12 Conference. He is also chair of the NCAA Football Issues Committee. Jeremy Foley, University of Florida, Southeast Region In August 1976, Jeremy Foley began his career as an intern in the University of Florida's athletics ticket office. Today, he runs the Gators' department as athletics director, a position he has held since 1992. Under Foley's leadership, UF has placed in the top 10 of the Sears Directors' Cup standings every year, finishing as high as second in 1997-98 (tied with the University of North Carolina). During his tenure, Florida also has won 10 consecutive Southeastern Conference (SEC) all-sports trophies and garnered more than 50 SEC and seven NCAA team titles. Foley also added women's soccer and softball. He is a member of the NCAA Division I Management Council and is also the chief financial officer of the UF University Athletic Association. Foley has been a driving force behind more than $83.7 million in capital improvements. The Gators have produced 41 Academic All-Americans, ranking fourth among all Division I schools during his tenure. They had a league-record 133 student-athletes named to the SEC All-Academic Honor Roll in 2000-01. In 2000, Foley was named an honorary alumnus of UF. Laing Kennedy, Kent State University, Northeast Region Laing Kennedy has served as athletics director at Kent State University for eight years. During that time, the Golden Flashes have captured parts of five men and women's Mid-American Conference (MAC) all-sports trophies, while setting a MAC record by placing 57th in the Sears Directors' Cup standings in 2000-01. During his tenure, Kent State has produced dozens of conference team titles and 48 All-Americans. This past season, Kent became the first MAC school to have its men and women's basketball teams win the conference regular season and tournament championships, and to make NCAA tournament appearances in the same season. Kennedy has been instrumental in numerous renovation projects and has also been responsible for the addition of women's soccer and golf. For the first time since 1967, he brought a national championship to the KSU campus, hosting the 2001 NCAA Division I Field Hockey Championships. Other accomplishments include the formation of an athletics development council, the completion of a comprehensive gender equity study, the implementation of a systematic sports evaluation program and the creation of a Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. Division I-AA/I-AAA Don DiJulia, Saint Joseph's University, Northeast Region Don DiJulia began his second stint as director of athletics at Saint Joseph's University in 1988. He first led the Hawks' athletics program from 1976-81, before taking the position of East Coast Conference commissioner (1981-83) and Metro-Atlantic Athletic Conference commissioner (1984-88). Today, he is the assistant vice president/athletics director at SJU. During the last 13 years at the university, DiJulia has added five new programs, overseen the building of a new weight training facility and spearheaded athletics fund raising for additional facility renovations. This includes the planning and construction of the $5 million athletics and recreation complex. A former NACDA Executive Committee member (1995-98), he has stressed the importance of the student-athlete by creating an Athletics Director's Honor Roll and senior scholar-athlete awards. DiJulia also has been active on the regional and national levels by serving his second term as Atlantic-10 Conference president, hosting numerous league championships and the 2000 NCAA Women's Basketball Final Four. Dan Guerrero, University of California-Irvine, West Region Dan Guerrero became the athletics director at the University of California-Irvine in December 1992. Since then, women's water polo, golf, indoor track and field and men's baseball have been added to the program. UCI has had more than 40 All-Americans, 10 Academic All-Americans and 334 all-conference honorees during his term. He has been the driving force behind four multi-million dollar renovation and construction projects and is currently working on a $22 million plan for a new academic center, strength and conditioning center, sports medicine center, crew boathouse and additional phases to the aquatic center and baseball stadium. Guerrero has also been instrumental in the significant increase of athletics endowments. He helped re-establish the UC-Irvine Athletics Hall of Fame and initiated the academic support and Life Skills programs, the Varsity Club and the Community and Youth Programs division. Nationally, Guerrero is second vice president of the Division I-AAA Athletics Directors Association, is a member of the John McLendon Postgraduate Scholarship Committee, the National Consortium for Academics and Sports Executive Board and is a board member of the National Minority Opportunities Athletic Association. He was selected as AD at UCLA, effective July 1. Dennis Thomas, Hampton University, Southeast Region Dennis Thomas has served as the athletics director at Hampton University for 11 years and has been full-time in the capacity since 1995. He orchestrated the Pirates' move from NCAA Division II to Division I that same year. He also added new sports to the program, including sailing and women's bowling, golf and tennis. During his tenure, eight programs have won Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) titles and, in 1999, the men's program won the conference all-sports trophy. In 2000 and 2001, Hampton was honored with the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame Achievement Award for the winningest Division I athletics program in the state. Thomas is treasurer of the Division I-AA Athletics Directors Association, currently serves on numerous NCAA football committees, is a member of the board of directors of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame and is on the Division I-AA Honors Court. He also is active on various MEAC committees and serves the conference as chair of its Championship Administration and Basketball Tournament committees. William Steinbrecher, Valparaiso University, Central Region William Steinbrecher returned to Valparaiso University as director of athletics in 1979. He originally joined the VU staff in 1959 as a professor in the physical education department, and as wrestling, golf and assistant football coach, and stayed until 1970. During his tenure as AD, Valparaiso has moved to NCAA Division I status. Steinbrecher's priority is the student-athlete and more than 50 percent have earned a 3.0 or better grade point average in each of the last five years. The school's graduation rate for student-athletes is among the top six in the nation. He has been instrumental in increasing the athletics department staff to provide needed services in academic counseling, women's athletics, sports medicine and other areas benefiting student-athletes. He was responsible for the effort in planning and constructing the campus athletics-recreation center and assisted in fund raising for the project through the foundation of the Gauntlet and Crusader Clubs. He is a member of the NCAA Championships and Competition Cabinet and the Travel Policies Subcommittee. He is also a member of the Mid-Continent Conference (MCC) Championships Committee and chairs the Baseball Sports Committee. He was a key figure in the development of the MCC, the North Star Conference and the Pioneer Football League. Division II Robert Hartwell, Adelphi University, Northeast Region Robert Hartwell has been director of athletics at Adelphi University since 1987. During this period, the Panthers have competed in NCAA postseason play more than 35 times, including winning the 2001 men's lacrosse championship and the 2001 men's basketball regional title. This past year, the men and women's basketball and cross country teams and the women's soccer team won New York Collegiate Athletic Conference (NYCAC) titles. Adelphi has won four NYCAC Commissioner's Cups. Hartwell has been committed to upholding the NCAA Champs Program, as well as the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). In 2000 and 2001, Adelphi hosted numerous workshops and games for conference SAAC programs. A strong supporter of Title IX, Hartwell hosted a premier gathering to honor NYCAC senior women student-athletes in recognizing National Girl's and Women in Sports Day. Hartwell formed the Panther Fund Raising Club in 1993 and has led five renovation and construction projects at Adelphi. He also helped in the computerization of sub-divisions within the athletics department. Stressing academics, Hartwell's student-athletes combine for the highest grade point average of all student groups on campus. He is chair of the Eastern College Athletic Conference Championship Committee and a member of its Finance Committee. Jerry Hughes, Central Missouri State University, Central Region The first repeat winner in the history of the AD of the Year program, Jerry Hughes was a recipient in the program's inaugural year, 1998-99. He has led the Central Missouri State University athletics department since 1983. Under his leadership, the Mules and Jennies have claimed three national championships, including dual titles by the men and women's basketball teams in 1984. CMSU has won more then 75 Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) titles and made more than 50 NCAA postseason appearances. Hughes is responsible for soliciting the university's largest gift ever, a $1.1 million donation to help fund the football stadium's multi-million dollar renovation. He has also led other new construction and renovation projects. Hughes conceived the Mule Train, the department's major fund-raising body and also initiated the CMSU Athletics Hall of Fame. He has served on numerous national committees, including NACDA's Executive Committee (1995-99), and currently is chair of the NCAA Division II Management Council and Membership Growth Project Team. He previously served on the NCAA Budget and Finance Committee. Hughes is also a former member of the Governor's Council on Physical Fitness and Health and presently serves as regional director of the Show-Me State Games. Jim Jordan, Delta State University, Southeast Region Jim Jordan has been athletics director at Delta State University since 1987. The Statesmen have captured four national titles during Jordan's tenure, including football in 2000. In all, DSU has earned 27 Western Division and overall Gulf South Conference (GSC) titles. The women's basketball team has three national and 12 GSC titles, while the men's team boasts three GSC championships. The baseball team reached the NCAA championships three times since 1987, and has made eight regional appearances. Jordan has helped build nationally-recognized swimming and diving programs, with the men and women's teams winning nine South Intercollegiate Swim Conference titles. He was instrumental in the construction of a new baseball practice field and aquatics center and has current renovations scheduled for the football and softball fields. Jordan, who also serves as an associate professor in the health, physical education and recreation department, is on the Division II Athletics Directors Association's Executive Committee and has served on the NCAA Division II Men's Basketball Selection and South Region Football committees. Greg Warzecka, University of California-Davis, West Region Greg Warzecka became the athletics director at the University of California-Davis in 1995. During his tenure, the Aggies have won four Sears Directors' Cups (1995-96, 1996-97, 1999-2000 and 2000-01). Warzecka implemented the grant-in-aid program four years ago and has seen student-athletes earn more than $96,000 in postgraduate scholarships. An advocate of the NCAA Life Skills/Champs Program and the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, Warzecka is supportive of student-athlete development. He is active on campus and serves on the subcommittee for the school's long-range development plan. He is also a member of the Aquatic Center and the Stadium Planning committees. He is playing a leading role in the $100-million fund raising project for new facilities and support monies. On the conference level, Warzecka has served as chair of the California Collegiate Athletic Association Game Management Committee, was a member of the Championships Committee and the Championships Review Team and was the liaison to the Women's Softball Committee. He has served nationally on the NCAA West Region Men's Basketball and Football Advisory committees and recently was appointed to the NCAA Division II Football Issues Review Project. Division III Scott Allison, Roanoke College, Southeast Region Scott Allison came to Roanoke College in 1986 as head coach for men's soccer and lacrosse and women's tennis, and assistant athletics director. He was named director of athletics in 1988 and today, oversees 19 sports while still coaching men's soccer. Under his leadership, Roanoke has won close to 40 Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) titles and has competed in more than 20 NCAA postseason tournaments in seven sports. Additionally, the Maroons have captured six ODAC Commissioner's Cups. Allison has helped to build a new fitness center, as well as develop a new outdoor athletics facility featuring three fields. He has also added softball and baseball. On the conference level, he served as president of the ODAC. He has also chaired the NCAA Division III Men's Soccer Regional Committee, has been an executive board member of the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association, a member of the NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse Committee Advisory Board and is past president of the National Soccer Coaches Association of America. Allison was president and remains active with the Salem Rotary Club, which sponsors both the NCAA Division III football and basketball championships. Scott McQuilkin, Whitworth College, West Region Scott McQuilkin was named director of athletics at Whitworth College in 1996 and heads a department of 18 sports. A key to his success has been the hiring and retention of excellent coaching staffs, including four coaches who quickly produced Northwest Conference titles. McQuilkin has spearheaded numerous fund-raising activities and has been on several campus committees for the building and renovation of athletics facilities. Also a professor in kinesiology, he has conducted research in his discipline for which he has been published and made many presentations. Sport History Review recently published his article "Brutality in Football and the Creation of the NCAA: A Codified Moral Compass in Progressive America." On the national level, McQuilkin serves on the NCAA Division III Baseball Committee. Additionally, Whitworth hosted the 2000 NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships. On the league level, he is the athletics directors' liaison to the Northwest Conference Committee on Men and Women's Soccer. He is a member of the North American Society for Sport History. Porter Miller, Earlham College, Central Region Porter Miller was named director of athletics at Earlham College in 1985. He played major roles in the college's decision to join the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) in 1989 and in the construction of a $13 million athletics and wellness center, which opened in 1999. Miller has been involved with the track and field programs since arriving at Earlham and serves as assistant coach. He is currently the coordinator of the NCAC Track and Field Championships and is the past chair of the conference's Men's Athletic Directors Committee. Miller has been involved on the national scene, serving on NACDA's Executive Committee (1996-2000) and recently completing a four-year term on the NCAA Division III Football Championships Committee. He was also a member of the NCAA Nominating Committee. Joy Reighn, Rowan University, Northeast Region Joy Reighn has been the athletics director at Rowan University since 1993, after having served as director of women's athletics at the school from 1986-93. She oversees 18 sports, and is heavily involved on the national, regional and conference levels. Reighn is president of the NCAA Division III Management Council, has been a member of the Northeast Regional Committee since 1991 and serves as chair of the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC). She was president of the NJAC, the New Jersey Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women and the Collegiate Athletic Administrators of New Jersey. Reighn also was a member of the NCAA's Recruitment and Drug Testing committees and the Eastern College Athletic Conference's Women's Basketball and Women's Lacrosse Selection committees. She recently completed a two-year term as chair of the NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Committee, where she was director of the national finals. Reighn was the first woman inducted into the Rowan-Glassboro State Sports Hall of Fame. NAIA/Other 4-Year Institution Jeff Bain, Martin Methodist College, Southeast Region Jeff Bain has been athletics director at Martin Methodist College since its transition from a two-year to a four-year college in 1994. He recently created the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee in 2001 and originated and remains as the director of the school's sports management degree program, which was launched in 2000. He provided leadership and guidance for the school's purchase of 43 acres, which will result in future sites of athletics venues and already includes the soccer facility that opened in 1999. He created the athletics department's first policy and procedures manual and provided the foundation and structure for the college's sports hall of fame. Nationally, Bain assisted with the development of the Character Initiative for the NAIA and is vice chair of the Region XI Management Committee. He also is treasurer of the TranSouth Athletic Conference (TSAC) and a member of the conference's Executive Committee. In 2000, he was named TSAC Athletics Director of the Year. Michael Fratzke, Indiana Wesleyan University, Central Region Michael Fratzke has been at the helm of the Indiana Wesleyan University athletics department since 1984. He was instrumental in the development of IWU's new outdoor athletics complex and wellness and recreation center. Under his leadership, the Wildcats have hosted numerous National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) events. A former board member and past president of the NCCAA, he also played a major role in securing television coverage for their championships. He is currently a member of the NAIA's National Coordinating Committee and is a regional chair. He recently completed his term as chair of the NAIA Council of Athletics Administrators. He also served on numerous other NAIA district and regional committees and has been awarded both NAIA district and regional Athletics Director of the Year awards. Fratzke is vice president of the Mid-Central Conference. On campus, he is a member of the Academic Affairs Council, Enrollment Management Committee, Varsity Club and is co-authoring a textbook on wellness. Sandra Michael, Holy Family College, Northeast Region Sandra Michael has been director of athletics at Holy Family College since 1985. During her tenure, Holy Family has hosted numerous conference and regional tournaments, including men and women's basketball and soccer, men's golf and women's softball. Michael also leads a comprehensive academic counseling and development program for student-athletes. She was responsible for negotiating corporate advertising sponsorships with Coca-Cola, Frito-Lay and adidas. Michael, who served as chair of NAIA District XIX for several years, is currently a member of the NAIA Council of Affiliated Conferences and Independents, as well as the NAIA Committee for Independent Institutions. She coordinates the intramural sports program and has been heavily involved in hosting events with the United States Basketball League, NCAA Youth Education through Sports and various summer youth sports clinics. Bob Wilson, Vanguard University, West Region In 1995, Bob Wilson was named director of athletics at Vanguard University. During his tenure, the Lions have made more than 15 NAIA national appearances, more than 80 student-athletes named NAIA scholar-athlete All-Americans and more than 45 NAIA All-Americans. Wilson established an athletics fund-raising association last fall, in which the monies earned benefit Lion athletics facilities, including the recent completion of the baseball facility renovation project. Wilson is vice president of the NAIA Athletic Directors Association and is a member of its Council of Athletics Administrators and the Gender Equity Committee. He was also appointed chair of the NAIA Region II and is the regional liaison for women's soccer. Wilson is vice president of the Golden State Athletic Conference (GSAC), chair of its Financial Aid Committee and the liaison for women's basketball and sports information directors. He is responsible for coordinating the conference's annual all-sports and sportsmanship awards. Junior/Community College Art Becker, Scottsdale Community College, West Region Art Becker has been director of athletics at Scottsdale Community College since 1982 and part of the athletics community since 1974, when he was hired as head basketball coach and a faculty member. He is a past Executive Committee member of NACDA (1986-90), was a founding member of the National Alliance of Two-Year College Athletic Administrators (NATYCAA) and is the association's third vice president. He serves as director of NJCAA Region I and chair of the NJCAA Division I Golf Committee. He is also a member of the NJCAA's Eligibility and Strategic Planning committees. Becker is treasurer of the Arizona Community College Athletic Conference, after holding the position of president from 1990-92 and secretary from 1994-98. He was recently division chair for the SCC health education and physical education department. A standout basketball player, Becker was inducted into the Arizona State University Hall of Fame in 1990 and was a two-time American Basketball Association all-star. Bobby Bowman, Pasco-Hernando Community College, Southeast Region In 1991, Bobby Bowman started the athletics program at Pasco-Hernando Community College. In his 11 years, more than 15 conference champions have been crowned, more than 25 teams have qualified for state and regional tournaments and four teams have advanced to the nationals. Bowman, also the head men's basketball coach, has been successful on the court and in the classroom; as 97 percent of his players have had the opportunity to attend a four-year college. He serves on NACDA's Executive Committee and is president of the National Alliance of Two-Year College Athletic Administrators (NATYCAA). He was also on NACDA's Pigskin Classic Committee, chaired the NATYCAA Scholar-Athlete Committee and was district chair of the Assistant Basketball Coaches Committee. Bowman has been chair of the Florida Council for Athletic Affairs and served a term on the executive committee of the Florida Community College Activities Association. John Jackson, Dean College, Northeast Region John Jackson has been the athletics director at Dean College since 1988, overseeing 10 sports. Dean is the only two-year college in New England that sponsors football and just one of two to sponsor lacrosse. Jackson is the NJCAA Men's Regional Director for Region XXI, where he monitors eligibility and appointment of committees and oversees regional championships. He is also the region's bureau director and served as its Women's Regional Director for seven years. He recently completed a six-year term as the chair of the NJCAA Women's Soccer Committee. Jackson is first vice president of the National Alliance of Two-Year College Athletic Administrators (NATYCAA). He is the head softball coach, won Coach of the Year honors this past season, and originally came to the college in 1980 as the head men's basketball and assistant baseball coach. In 1985, he was named assistant athletics director and sports fitness instructor. He remains involved in the community as an official for high school varsity basketball games, is a member of the Wrentham Recreation Committee and president of the King Philip High School Sports Booster Club. Harold Oetting, Jefferson College, Central Region Athletics director Harold Oetting has served 36 years in athletics at Jefferson College. Hired as head baseball and assistant basketball coach in 1966, he was named athletics director in 1968 and has been the lone AD during the school's history. Oetting serves as president of the Midwest Community College Athletic Conference, in which he was previously named the league's Administrator of the Year. He has also been named Outstanding Educator in America and won the Missouri Inner Scholastic Administration Assistant Distinguished Service Award. Nationally, he serves on the National Alliance of Two-Year College Athletic Administrators (NATYCAA) Executive Committee, is director of NJCAA Region XVI, chair of the NJCAA Division II Baseball Committee and a member of the NJCAA Division I Basketball Committee. On the local level, Oetting is on the Festus Police Personnel Board. International Murray Hall, Trinity Western University Murray Hall became athletics director at Trinity Western University in 1988 and has moved the two-year college athletics program to one of Canada's top athletics leagues in the Canadian Interuniversity Sport, the only time this has ever been accomplished. A move of this magnitude is comparable to a junior college program developing into an NCAA Division I program. Over a five-and-a-half year period, Hall spearheaded the recruiting model for this move, which shared in the tuition funds generated by attracting student-athletes to the university. The athletics department grew from a single full-time employee to its current staff of 15 full-time members, plus additional part-time employees and a complete sports therapy crew. More than 100 student-athletes were given the opportunity to compete in a varsity sport when men and women's rugby and track and field/cross country and women's soccer were added to the program. Increases in operating budgets, athletics scholarships, endowments and marketing revenue have grown substantially under his direction. Hall brought technological advances to the athletics department with innovative means of communicating for all coaches and administrators. |
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