Fran Reidy Position: Director of Athletics Institution: St. Leo University

Francis X. Reidy was hired as Saint Leo's director of athletics in March of 1999. He oversees all aspects of a highly competitive intercollegiate program that is a member of the Sunshine State Conference (SSC).

Reidy handles all aspects of the intercollegiate athletics department for each of St. Leo's 16 varsity teams. He oversees summer programs and conferences for the University, hires and supervises 34 athletics staff members, prepares and oversees budgets for operating, staffing and scholarships, represents the institution at conference and national events, conventions and seminars, and also is chair of the Saint Leo Athletics Hall of Fame.

Reidy graduated from Fitchburg State in 1982 with a double major of special education and elementary education lettering all four years in soccer which he captained and was an All-Conference selection. He earned his master's degree in business administration from Saint Leo in 2002.

Reidy holds several key positions with the SSC, including being a member of the five-year srategic planning committee and is the conference representative to the Division II Athletics Directors Board of Directors. He is the former chair of the conference marketing committee and was chair and assistant director of the league postseason basketball tournament. He served, for the second time, as assistant chair of the conference postseason basketball in 2005. He will be the chair and host of the 2006 SSC postseason basketball tournament, March 1-5.

Reidy was the university's head men's soccer coach for 16 years, stepping down after the 2003 season. He holds the record for most wins as a head coach (140-134-16). Twice he was honored as SSC coach-of-the-year. He produced a number of all-americas, all-region and all-conference players, and three of his former student-athletes were named to the Conference Silver Anniversary 23-man soccer team in 2003. Numerous players have been honored for their academic achievements in the Conference and nationally by the American Soccer Coaches Association.

Reidy served on the Division II men's regional soccer committee (1998-99), the national men's soccer committee (1999-2002) and was a member of the men's soccer national ranking committee (1999-2000). He was chairman of the Tampa Chapter of Soccer in the Streets (1997-98) and is currently active in youth soccer as a coach of Central Pasco.

Reidy, who joined Saint Leo as a part-time coach in 1987 and became full time in 1992, has also served as the school's sports information director, assistant director of athletics and associate director of athletics where he was responsible for certification of student-athletes for 12 intercollegiate sports. He implemented the NCAA Software Program into the compliance program, completed the Equity in Athletics Disclosure Act for Saint Leo, and was responsible for computerizing the athletic department.

Prior to joining Saint Leo, Reidy was a teacher-coach at Tampa Gaither High School. He taught students with special needs for 10 years and coached the boys' soccer team for six years (1984-90), winning three district titles, two regional crowns, one sectional title and one state runner-up.

Reidy is married to the former Debora Lasek. The couple has one son, Evan, and one daughter, Victoria.