June 9, 2008

Nelson E. Bobb, University of North Carolina Greensboro, Southeast Region Twenty-five years ago, Nelson E. Bobb was named the University of North Carolina Greensboro's (UNCG) first full-time director of athletics, and he hasn't looked back. During that span, Bobb has developed a nationally recognized program that has continually succeeded in competition as well as in the classroom. During his tenure, Bobb has guided the University through an unprecedented change - moving the department from NCAA Division III to NCAA Division I. He guided the program through the unprecedented change in competitive status in just five years. Bobb has also overseen the construction and/or renovation of all of the Spartans' athletics venues. Recently, Bobb transitioned the department's teams into Southern Conference membership. Competitively, UNCG teams have won 36 conference tournament titles and 65 regular season titles. Academically, in each of the last three academic years, more than 40 percent of Spartan student-athletes earned a 3.0 grade point average or better. Bobb has also served in various NCAA appointments during his tenures and was also named an at-large member of the Division I-AAA Athletics Directors Association Executive Committee. In February 2008, Bobb was inducted into the UNCG Hall of Fame.

Peg Bradley-Doppes, University of Denver, West Region Peg Bradley-Doppes was appointed the University of Denver's (DU) 12th director of athletics and recreation in 2005 and was promoted to vice chancellor of athletics and recreation and Ritchie Center operations in July of 2006. An energetic leader of collegiate athletics as a student-athlete, head coach and athletics director, Bradley-Doppes is recognized as one of the nation's most effective athletics administrators. Bradley-Doppes' 14 years of NCAA Division I committee service includes - Management Council, Division I Women's Basketball, the Committee on Women's Athletics, Division I Volleyball, Peer Review Team, Olympic Sports Liaison Committee and the newly-formed NCAA Leadership Council. In 2007-08, the Pioneers sent a record 10 teams to the NCAA Tournament, highlighted by the skiing teams' 19th NCAA title and two individual titles. Five teams earned conference championships and seven individuals earned coach of the year accolades. The Pioneers captured their eighth consecutive SBC Graduation Award. In 2006-07, DU sent six teams to the NCAA Tournament and two student-athletes combined for three individual national titles. The Pioneers added two conference championships, while capturing their seventh consecutive SBC Graduation Award. In Bradley-Doppes' first year, the Pioneers sent four teams and three individuals to the NCAA Tournament. DU added three conference championships and captured the SBC Graduation Award for the sixth consecutive season. In July of 2004, Bradley-Doppes was named the General Robert R. Neyland Outstanding Athletics Director by the All-American Football Foundation, and in October 2004, she was named the NACWAA Administrator of the Year for Division I-AAA. From 1999-2004, Bradley-Doppes was director of athletics at the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW). She joined UNCW following a successful stint at Michigan, where she served as senior associate athletics director and senior woman administrator. Bradley-Doppes is an at-large representative on the Division I-AAA Athletics Directors Association Executive Committee.

Robert Driscoll, Jr., Providence College, Northeast Region Since Robert Driscoll, Jr. arrived on the campus of Providence College six years ago, the Friars' athletics program has experienced constant improvement. In 2006-07, Driscoll and his staff raised a record of over $2 million, surpassing the previous mark of $1.7 million in 2006. He has been instrumental in several major construction projects on campus, including a state-of-the-art $15 million fitness center, a field hockey & lacrosse complex, upgrades at Schneider Arena for the men's and women's ice hockey programs and a $75 million renovation of the Dunkin' Donuts Center, which is home to the Friar men's basketball team. Driscoll is a current member of the NCAA Division I Management Council, represents the BIG EAST's Athletics Directors on the Student-Athlete Advisory Council, and serves on the HOCKEY EAST Television Negotiations Committee. During Driscoll's tenure, the Friars have seen great success in the various arenas of competition at the College. Since his arrival, the Friars have captured 13 conference championships, 39 individual league titles and six NCAA individual titles. In that time frame, 51 Friars have earned All-America honors and two Honda Awards have been handed out to a Providence student-athlete. Driscoll joined the Providence community after 14 years in athletics administration at the University of California Berkeley. He is a native of Concord, Mass. and was a stand-out ice hockey and baseball player at Ithaca College, where he received his bachelor's degree in physical education. Driscoll earned his master's degree in physical education/psychology of sports from Ithaca.

Ken Kavanagh, Bradley University, Central Region Ken Kavanagh is in his 12th year at the helm of the Bradley University athletics department. Under Kavanagh's direction, Bradley has garnered national recognition by U.S. News & World Report for having the seventh-best college sports program in terms of gender equity. Bradley also received an "A" from the Women's Sports Foundation for its gender equity performance. Kavanagh played a crucial role in the development of the BU B.L.A.S.T. (Building Leadership And Supporting Teams) NCAA Life Skills Program, which is designed to enhance the total being of Braves' student-athletes. It involves activities ranging from personal, social and career development to community service projects and leadership opportunities. Bradley has led the Missouri Valley Conference in federal graduation rate figures for eight consecutive years and Bradley tied for seventh nationally in the initial NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) Report in 2005. Four Bradley teams were recognized by the NCAA in 2007 for posting multi-year APR scores in the top 10 percent of the nation in their respective sports. Kavanagh is the current chair of the NCAA Division I Men's Soccer Committee and the Missouri Valley Conference Officiating Committee. He previously chaired the Valley's Championship Committee and has been a member of the MVC's Gender Equity, Media/Marketing and Conference Relations Committees. Kavanagh, one of the founders of the I-AAA Athletics Directors Association, currently serves as the Association's treasurer. Kavanagh came to Bradley from Bowling Green State University, where he steadily moved up the administrative ranks before leaving as the senior associate athletics director. Kavanagh began his administrative career in the athletics department at Yale University before working as a graduate assistant at Notre Dame.