June 19, 2009

Cleveland, Ohio – Don DiJulia, director of athletics at Saint Joseph’s University, was selected as the recipient of the 2009 Gary Cunningham Lifetime Achievement Award presented by the Division I-AAA Athletics Directors Association (DI-AAA ADA), today. The award will be presented during the Division I-AAA ADA Meeting at the NACDA Convention in Orlando, Florida on Friday, June 19. It is the highest award presented by the association.

“Our Association is proud to present Don with the fifth annual Gary Cunningham Lifetime Achievement Award,” stated Ken Kavanagh, 2008-09 Gary Cunningham Lifetime Achievement Award Committee chair and director of athletics at Florida Gulf Coast University. “He is an integral member of the Division I-AAA ADA Executive Committee, has been a tremendous contributor since the formation of our Association, and certainly befits to the utmost all of the characteristics that this honor represents.”

DiJulia is in his fifth decade of affiliation with Saint Joseph’s University. Over the course of the past 19 years, DiJulia has overseen a growth in the athletics department – five varsity teams have been added; a new weight training facility built; athletics fund drives initiated; and athletics facilities updated. Currently the Hawks are undergoing the biggest project in DiJulia’s tenure with the expansion and renovation of Alumni Memorial Fieldhouse.

While at the helm of the department, DiJulia continues to stress the importance of student-athlete with the institution of the SJU Athletics Director’s Honor Roll, as well as senior Scholar-Athlete awards.

Nationally, Saint Joseph’s was at the center of one of the most exciting times of college basketball, when the 2003-04 squad gained national attention with its quest for a perfect season. He has also spearheaded the University hosting various conference and national tournaments.

Prior to this current stint at Saint Joseph’s, DiJulia served as AD for the Hawk’s from 1976 to 1981, was commissioner of the East Coast Conference for two years and was the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference commissioner from 1984-88.

Members of the Gary Cunningham Lifetime Achievement Award Committee include Division I-AAA athletics directors: Ken Kavanagh, committee chair; Ken Bothof, Wisconsin Green Bay; Tim Hall, Missouri Kansas City; Tom Hickman, Winthrop; Ed McLaughlin, Niagara; Stan Morrison, California Riverside; Judy Rose, North Carolina Charlotte; Mike Roth, Gonzaga; Joel Thirer, Binghamton; and Lynn Hickey, Texas San Antonio.

About Division I-AAA ADA: Now in its eighth year, the Division I-AAA Athletics Directors Association's mission is to enhance initiatives common to its Division I-AAA membership (the 95 Division I institutions that do not sponsor football), in particular, aspects related to their flagship basketball programs. For more information on the Division I-AAA ADA, please visit www.div1aaa-ada.com. The Division I-AAA ADA is administered by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), which is in its 44th year. For more information on NACDA and the 11 professional associations that fall under its umbrella, please visit www.nacda.com.