Wake Forest Athletics News
|
Wellman Earns Honor From NACDA
June 11, 2003 Wake Forest University athletic director Ron Wellman was named Division I-A Athletic Director of the Year in the Southeast Region today by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA). The 2002-03 academic year has been a successful one for Wake Forest athletics: -- Three teams won ACC regular season championships (field hockey, men??s basketball, and men??s soccer) -- The field hockey team won the NCAA national title -- the first ever by a Deacon women??s team -- Ten teams advanced to NCAA postseason competition -- Four different Wake coaches were named ACC Coach of the Year -- Thirty-two student-athletes were named first team All-ACC -- The football team posted its second straight winning season and won the Seattle Bowl In addition, Wellman recently signed head football coach Jim Grobe and men??s basketball coach Skip Prosser to long-term contract extensions. Wellman, athletic director at Wake Forest since October of 1992, previously spearheaded an ambitious facility improvement program, including a new soccer stadium, indoor tennis center, Bridger Field House and improvements to Groves Stadium and Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Construction on the Kenneth D. Miller Center was completed in September, providing additional space for the student services and CHAMPS programs and a new practice facility for the men??s and women's basketball teams. He also instituted an annual Academic Excellence Banquet, honoring student-athletes who have achieved in the classroom. During his tenure, many Demon Deacons teams have been ranked among nation's top 25. Wellman serves on the NCAA Division I Management Council and is also on the Division I Baseball Committee. Wellman previously was a coach, athletics director and professor at Elmhurst College, where he led his baseball teams to more than 200 victories; was the head baseball coach at Northwestern University; and served as the athletics director at Minnesota State University-Mankato and Illinois State University. He was inducted into the Elmhurst Hall of Fame in 1985 and, in five of his last seven years at Elmhurst, was named the conference Coach of the Year. Wellman earned bachelor??s and master's degrees from Bowling Green State University. 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/Other Four-Year Institutions combined; and Junior/Community Colleges. One winner was selected in each of the six categories, along with one international winner for a total of 25 honorees. Winners will receive their awards during the James J. Corbett Awards Luncheon at NACDA's 38th Annual Convention at Disney's Coronado Springs Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. 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 25 winners exemplify that, providing us with a group of outstanding athletics directors who excel at their jobs." Winners of the 2002-03 NACDA AD of the Year Award are: Division I-A Tim Curley Penn State University Northeast Gene Smith Arizona State University West Rick Taylor Northwestern University Central Ron Wellman Wake Forest University Southeast Division I-AA/I-AAA Curtis Blake Rider University Northeast Wayne Hogan University of Montana West Jim Jarrett Old Dominion University Southeast John Parry Butler University Central Division II Jeff May Lander University Southeast Wayne Poage Dallas Baptist University West Tim Selgo Grand Valley State University Central Dana Skinner University of Massachusetts-Lowell Northeast Division III Al Ackerman University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh Central John Harper Bridgewater State College Northeast Geoff Miller Goucher College Southeast Steve Wallo Lewis & Clark College West NAIA/Other Four-Year Institutions Jim Dennison Walsh University Northeast Dan Harris Baker University Central Dave Holmquist Biola University West Steve Ridder Embry Riddle Aeronautical University Southeast Junior/Community College Ron Case Gloucester County College Northeast James Cox Miami-Dade Community College Southeast Karen Guthmiller Lee College West Kevin Steele Redlands Community College Central International Therese Quigley McMaster University 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 37th 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. Contact: Laurie Garrison, Assistant Executive Director, Communications 214/757-2104 - NACDA Convention Media Office 214/757-2107 - NACDA Convention Main Office 214/757-2106 - NACDA Convention Fax E-mail: lgarrison@nacda.com WFU Contact: Dean Buchan, Assistant AD/Media Relations 336/758-5640 |