Suffolk's Jim Nelson Named AD of the Year By NACDA

DALLAS, TX - Jim Nelson, the Director of Athletics at Suffolk University was named 2012 NCAA Division-III AD of the Year by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) for the Northeast Region.

Nelson will accept his award during the James J. Corbett Awards Luncheon on Wednesday, June 27 at NACDA's 47th Annual Convention at the Hilton Anatole Hotel in Dallas, Texas.

For four decades, Nelson has been an integral part of Suffolk University athletics. He began his tenure at Suffolk in 1966 as an assistant director of athletics and men’s assistant basketball coach and was named athletics director in 1975, a position he still holds today.

From 1976-95, Nelson was head coach of the men’s basketball team at Suffolk, guiding the Rams to appearances in the NCAA Division III Regional Tournament. In 1992, Nelson was selected as a member of the inaugural National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Division III Congress, a position he holds presently, serving as the association’s NCAA Legislative Advisor. He also served as the National Chairman of the NCAA Division III Basketball Committee from 1997-99. Nelson was inducted into the New England Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006, and received the 10th annual Outstanding Service Award from the NABC that same year. In 2005, he was named a Sports Ethic Fellow by the Institute for International Sport, and in 1997, he received the New England Basketball Coaches Association Doggie Julian Award for Service to New England College Basketball. He was part of Suffolk University’s inaugural Hall of Fame Nelson induction class of 2007. Nelson was also named Executive of the Year by the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) in 2010.

Nelson was one of 29 national recipients of AD of the Year Award (ADOY) for 2012. The Award was sponsored by Under Armor. There are four geographic regions - northeast, southeast, central and west; while the membership is separated into seven categories - Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division I-A); Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA); Division I (formerly Division I-AAA); Division II; Division III; NAIA; and Junior/Community Colleges, along with one International winner. One winner was selected in each of the eight categories, for a total of 29 honorees.

NACDA Executive Director Bob Vecchione explains 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.

"Before its inception, our Honors and Awards Committee recognized a need for an award such as the AD of the Year," said Vecchione, who is finishing his first year at the helm of NACDA. "The program brings to light the remarkable jobs done by athletics directors across the country. These 29 outstanding winners epitomize that, providing us with a group of exemplary athletics directors who excel on campus and in their communities."

Winners of the 2011-12 Under Armour AD of the Year Awards are:

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, now in its 47th year, is the professional and educational association for more than 6,500 college athletics administrators at more than 1,600 institutions throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico. More than 2,200 athletics administrators annually attend the NACDA Convention. Additionally, NACDA administers 12 professional associations, including six for the separate business units that report directly to the athletics directors and two foundations. For more information on NACDA, visit www.nacda.com.

*Release provided courtesy of Suffolk University Sports Information Dept.