Courtesy of Hartford Sports Information
Pat Meiser-McKnett, University of Hartford's Director of Athletics and Special Assistant to the President, will be honored as the 2005-06 Northeast Region I-AAA GeneralSports TURF Systems AD of the Year at the James J. Corbett Awards Luncheon as a part of the annual National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics convention being held in New Orleans, LA. Meiser-McKnett will also be named as the newly appointed President of the Division I-AAA Athletics Directors Association while at the 41st annual NACDA Convention.
"It's always nice to be recognized by your peers," said Meiser-McKnett. "This award is more a reflection of the wonderful people I have had the honor to work with and for then it is about my personal accomplishments. I am grateful to receive this honor."
The GeneralSports TURF Systems AD of the Year Awards (ADOY) program, now in its eighth year, recognizes athletics directors who have shown administrative excellence within the campus and/or college community for the current academic year. The award encompasses seven divisions - NCAA Divisions I-A, I-AA, I-AAA, II, III, NAIA/Other Four-Year Institutions and Junior/Community Colleges. This year there will be 29 winners, four per division in the U.S. regions and one cross-divisional winner in the International region. Athletics directors may win the award only once in three years.
""Pat Meiser-McKnett has been devoted to our student-athletes for the past fourteen years," said University President Walter Harrison. "She has brought great leadership to the University's athletic department, raising money, building facilities, attracting highly qualified coaches, and supervising a great staff. Most of all, however, she has been unfailingly dedicated to improving student-athlete welfare, and for that all of us are grateful."
Meiser-McKnett, is in her 14th year at the University of Hartford. One of only 33 female directors of athletics among the more than 300 institutions competing at the Division I level, Meiser-McKnett has 34 years of experience in athletics administration. In May of 1999, she was named one of the nation's top 50 women's sports executives by Street & Smith's Sports Business Journal.
In her tenure, seven sports (women's basketball, men's soccer, women's soccer, men's golf, women's golf, men's tennis and women's volleyball) have won America East Conference championships and either reached NCAA Division I tournament or national postseason play. Women's basketball, in particular, has emerged with Meiser-McKnett's hiring of Jennifer Rizzotti. The Hawks have won three conference championships since the hiring of Rizzotti and most recently defeated nationally ranked Temple University in the first round of the NCAA Tournament for the programs first victory in national post season play.
Most significantly, Hartford athletics embarked on a $10 million athletics capital campaign in April of 2003. The campaign, called Home Field Advantage, has funded the renovation of the existing soccer and lacrosse field, the relocation and construction of a softball field, the construction of a baseball field and the construction of a track surrounding an all-purpose field. The ground breaking for Home Field Advantage took place in April of 2005 and all five outdoor teams played their home schedule on the new fields during the 2005-06 season. Most importantly the Hawks baseball team played its first game on campus for the first time in more than 20 years.
Meiser-McKnett holds a bachelor's degree in health and physical education (1969) from West Chester State University and a master's degree in education (1971) and business administration (MBA, 1986) from Penn State University. At Hartford, she heads a team that is responsible for growing the athletics and academic quality of the program, enhancing revenue and extending the program into the community.
Past Northeast Region honorees include Bob Marcum (Massachusetts-Amherst, 1998-99), Lew Perkins (Connecticut, 1999-2000), Bill Cleary (Harvard, 2000-01), Don DiJulia (St. Joseph's-PA, 2001-02), Curtis Blake (Rider, 2002-03), Ron Petro (Rhode Island, 2003-04) and Susan Hofacre (Robert Morris, 2004-05)
Eligibility and Criteria
All directors of athletics, provided they meet the following criteria and are nominated by a NACDA-member director of athletics, college or university president or conference commissioner, are eligible. The nominee must:
Be a NACDA member.
Have served as an athletics director for a minimum of five (5) consecutive academic years (July 1-June 30).
Be employed in a full-time capacity as the director of athletics (not as an associate, assistant or senior woman administrator at the institution listed at the time of nomination.
Demonstrate a commitment to higher education and student-athletes.
Demonstrate continuous teamwork, loyalty and excellence.
Demonstrate a commitment to continuing education for the athletics administrative staff.
Demonstrate the ability to inspire individuals or groups to high levels of accomplishment.
Demonstrate leadership and/or significant outreach for the betterment of youth and/or the local community.
Show leadership on the regional and/or national levels through serving on (1) NACDA committees; (2) NCAA, NAIA or junior/community college committees; (3) other athletics committees (NACWAA, USOC, AAU, etc.).
Have received previous awards for administrative excellence.
Not be or have been the athletics director at an institution that is or has been placed on probation or cited for a lack of institutional control at his/her current or previous institution in the past five (5) academic years. Any director of athletics who meets all other criteria for the award and who has inherited a program currently on probation or is under review for probation (or lack of institutional control), is eligible to receive the award as long as no other significant violations have occurred since his/her arrival that contribute(d) to the aforementioned.