SUNY COBLESKILL ATHLETIC DIRECTOR HONORED WITH NATIONAL AWARD

Dallas, Texas – The National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) announced that SUNY Cobleskill Director of Athletics Kevin McCarthy is among the 24 winners of the GeneralSports TURF Systems 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; and Junior/Community Colleges. One winner was selected in each of the six categories for a total of 24 honorees. Winners will receive their awards during the James J. Corbett Awards Luncheon at NACDA’s 39th Annual Convention at the Wyndham Anatole Hotel in Dallas, Texas on Sunday June 12th.
 
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 24 winners exemplify that, providing us with a group of outstanding athletics directors who excel at their jobs.”
           
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 39th year, is the professional and educational association for more than 6,100 college athletics directors, associates, assistants and conference commissioners at more than 1,600 institutions throughout the United States, Mexico and Canada.  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.  Additionally, the Association operates the NACDA Directors’ Cup program, which honors the all-sports champion in each of the NCAA Divisions -- I, II, III -- and the NAIA, for a total of four trophies.

Kevin McCarthy, SUNY Cobleskill, Northeast
In 1992, Kevin McCarthy answered the call to juggle the duties of both athletics director and head men’s basketball coach at the State University of New York at Cobleskill.  He has achieved great success in both realms, leading the Fighting Tigers program to a national championship crown, three regional championships and 14 conference championships as athletics director and earning five NJCAA Coach of the Year distinctions.  McCarthy’s tenure has also produced 93 All-Americans and 72 Academic All-Americans.  McCarthy, who also serves as an associate professor at Cobleskill, is an active member of the NATYCAA Executive Committee, the NJCAA Basketball Coaches Board of Directors and is the assistant director of Region III of the NJCAA. In 2003, McCarthy represented the junior college athletics community in a presentation to the Department of Education Equities in Athletics Commission. He has also served as an adjunct professor at the United States Sports Academy.  McCarthy was awarded the Guardian of the Game Award for Excellence in Education by the NABC, an organization for which he also serves as an advisory board member.  The University of Chicago was the starting point for McCarthy’s career in athletics administration, where he served as assistant chair of the physical education, athletics and recreational sports department.  He was also associate director of athletics, head men’s basketball coach, and later director of athletics at Carthage College before joining the Fighting Tigers program.  McCarthy earned his bachelor’s degree from SUNY Plattsburgh and his master’s from Central Michigan University. 

Contact:         
Laurie Garrison
Assistant Executive Director, Communications 
440/892-4000, 440/892-4007 (Fax)
E-mail: lgarrison@nacda.com
Web Site: www.nacda.com