Boone Chosen as Recipient of the 22nd NACDA/NIT Award

Cleveland, Ohio - Chuck Boone, former director of athletics at the University of Richmond, has been chosen by the National Invitation Tournament and NACDA to be the recipient of the 22nd NACDA/NIT Athletics Directors Award.

Boone will receive his award at the 38th Annual Convention of the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), June 13-16. The ceremony will be held on Saturday, June 14, at the James J. Corbett Awards Luncheon. The Convention is being held at Disney's Coronado Springs Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida.

Boone has been associated with the University of Richmond for more than 40 years. Beginning as a student-athlete in 1956, Boone played football and baseball and served as captain of both teams in his senior year. In 1960, he was drafted by the Los Angeles Chargers, but instead spent six years with the New York Yankees as a player and coach.

In 1967, Boone returned to Richmond as director of athletic promotions. He was promoted to assistant athletic director in 1972, with responsibilities in fund raising, ticket sales and club sports. He also served as baseball coach. He was named the school's director of athletics in 1977 and served for 23 years until his retirement in 2000.

Boone's tenure at Richmond was highlighted by a successful $60 million athletics endowment fund drive, a football program that participated in the Division I-AA playoffs and Yankee Conference championship and a men's basketball program that went to six NCAA and four NIT tournaments. The 1987-88 squad reached the NCAA's Sweet 16. The baseball team won two Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) championships and had four NCAA tournament appearances, while the women's basketball team won two CAA titles and went to the NCAA tournament two times. Upgrades were made to the Robins Center, including the sports medicine center and hall of fame room. Also upgraded were the football stadium, soccer and track complex and the tennis courts.

Boone served as executive director of the Yankee Conference; chair of the Division I-AA Football Committee; and member of the NCAA Executive Committee, Championship Committee and Committee of 2000 that worked on the relocation of the NCAA office. He was also a founding member of the CAA and served as the association's first president. Additionally, in 2000, Boone was honored as a NACDA/Continental Airlines AD of the Year.

On receiving word of this award, Boone said, "I have always enjoyed my association and friendship with the NIT and NACDA. Both organizations have enhanced intercollegiate athletics and provided many opportunities for student-athletes representing our athletics programs. To be recognized by these fine organizations for my years as the director of athletics at the University of Richmond is indeed very special. I am very appreciative of this award and honored to be added to such a distinguished list of past recipients."

Past winners of the NACDA/NIT Athletics Directors Award include:

2002 - Fred Jacoby, Conference Commissioner
2001 - Arnie Ferrin, director of athletics, University of Utah
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