ORLANDO, FL – The National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) recognized the 28 winners of the NACDA AD of the Year Award (ADOY) in conjunction with the 60th Annual NACDA & Affiliates Convention at the World Center Marriott Resort in Orlando, Fla., at the beginning of the Association-Wide Featured Session on Tuesday, June 10. The award spans seven divisions (NCAA FBS, FCS, Division I-AAA, II, III, NAIA/Other Four-Year Institutions and Junior College/Community Colleges) and this year there were several first-time winners including Roadrunner AD Brian Rowan.
Roadrunner Executive Director of Athletics Brian Rowan was appointed in July 2016 after serving as the Assistant Director since 2008. Rowan entered the position with a long and distinguished history of service to RCSJ both as an administrator and a coach. The Gloucester County native is proud to lead one of the nation's most successful Junior College athletic programs and the program has seen great success during his tenure earning four NATYCAA Cups for overall athletic success and the Learfield Sports Directors' Cup in 2023-24 as the top two-year college program in the nation. Roadrunner teams have won 5 NJCAA National Championships during his tenure and each of the 16 Roadrunner programs have won at least one NJCAA Region 19 title and advanced to their National Championship event.
This year 12 of the Roadrunners 16 teams earned trips to their National Championship events earning the Roadrunners the 2024-25 NATYCAA Cup as the top overall non-scholarship program in the nation and the 2nd place in the Learfield Cup standings for the top overall two-year college athletic program in the nation. In addition to his duties on campus, Rowan serves on NJCAA National Committees in Baseball, Golf, and Tennis and Chairs the NJCAA Region 19 Baseball and Cross Country Committees.
"I accept this award on behalf of our program and recognize the accomplishments of our students, coaches and staff for another outstanding year," Rowan commented from Orlando. "You do not have the type of success that we have without hard-working and talented people throughout our program and great support from our college administration. I am most proud of the success we have had across the board in our program as we saw so many of our athletes have the opportunity to shine on the national level."
The ADOY Award highlights the efforts of athletics directors at all levels for their commitment and positive contributions to student-athletes, campuses and their surrounding communities.
"NACDA is proud to usher in a new class of Athletics Director of the Year Award winners for 2024-25 and recognize these servant leaders guiding their departments into a new age of intercollegiate athletics," said Pat Manak, NACDA Chief Executive Officer. "Each of the seven Divisions has at least one first-time honoree, including four brand new winners in the junior college ranks. These 28 individuals represent their institutions, conferences and the industry as a whole with a level of dedication and passion that shines through in their collective accomplishments."
The ADOY Award program is in its 27th year and has recognized a total of 605 deserving athletics directors to date.
About NACDA: Now in its 60th year, NACDA is the professional and educational Association for more than 24,000 college athletics administrators at more than 2,300 institutions throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico. NACDA manages 19 professional associations and four foundations. In addition to virtual programming, NACDA hosts and/or has a presence at seven major professional development events annually. The NACDA & Affiliates Convention is the largest gathering of collegiate athletics administrators in the country. For more information, visit www.nacda.com.