Release courtesy of Al King, Assistant Athletic Director, Media Relations, Ashland University
DALLAS - Ashland University director of athletics Bill Goldring has been selected as the 2011-12 NCAA Division II Northeast Region Under Armour Athletic Director of the Year. Goldring is being recognized this week during the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) Convention in Dallas, Texas. He is one of 29 administrators from around the nation to be honored.
Goldring will be recognized for his accomplishments on Wednesday, June 27 at the James J. Corbett Awards Luncheon, which will be held at the Hilton Anatole Hotel. This is the second time Goldring has received the regional award, he was also recognized in 2005-06. He is the lone athletic director from a private institution to win the award twice.
“This is wonderful recognition to an outstanding athletic director,” said Ashland University president Dr. Fred Finks. “I couldn’t be more pleased to see Bill receive this national acknowledgement for what I see regularly in his leadership qualities as Ashland University athletic director.”
This coming year will be Goldring’s 15th at Ashland. He’s built a program that has consistently ranked among the nation’s best. This past year ranks as the most successful year in school history. In 2011-12, AU ranked third in the Learfield Directors’ Cup national all-sports standings. That’s the highest finish in school history and it is the fifth consecutive year Ashland has ranked among the nation’s Top 10 institutions.
This year, the women’s basketball team advanced to the national championship game for the first time in school history. The AU women ended the year ranked second in the country. The women’s swimming team posted its third consecutive top seven finish at nationals. Both cross country teams advanced to the national championships – that’s the first time that’s happened since 1995. For the first time since 1972, AU had a player selected in the NFL draft. Defensive lineman Jeris Pendleton was taken by Jacksonville in the seventh round. The track and field program featured Ryan Loughney, who won two national titles in 2011-12 and completed his career with five national championships. For the second consecutive year, 13 of AU’s 20 varsity programs reached the NCAA postseason.
Those on-field accomplishments are matched by the success of AU student-athletes in the classroom. In 2011-12, three student-athletes earned Academic All-America awards. Women’s basketball player Jena Stutzman received a GLIAC Commissioner’s Award. The Eagles had 199 student-athletes receive GLIAC All-Academic Team honors. AU student-athletes boasted a 3.13 grade point average for 2011-12. The wrestling team was ranked sixth in the country in team grade point average.
Goldring’s tenure at AU has also been marked by an expansion of teams, coaching staffs and facilities. Since he arrived on campus, the athletic department has added women’s golf and women’s tennis as varsity programs. The university constructed the Dwight Schar Athletic Complex, which is considered one of the finest athletic facilities in the nation. Goldring was instrumental in the planning of that complex which features home playing fields for football, soccer and track and field.
Recently, the university refurbished the baseball complex, constructing permanent stands and a spacious, state-of-the-art press box. This summer, the university is remodeling several locker room areas in Kates Gymnasium.
Under Goldring, AU hired its first strength and conditioning coach – A.G. Kruger. Several other coaching staffs which had relied on part-time assistants now have full-time assistant coaches in place.
The 2012-13 year will be Goldring’s 34th in college athletics administration. He’s held several posts on the Division I level, including stops at Jacksonville, Indiana State and Iowa State. He came to Ashland from Morningside College in Sioux City, Iowa, where he was the director of athletics for three years.
NACDA executive director Bob Vecchione explains the ADOY Award is essential because it highlights the efforts of athletic directors at all levels for their commitment and positive contributions to campuses and their surrounding communities.
“Before its inception, our Honors and Award 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.
Goldring is one of three NCAA Division II athletic directors to be honored this year. The others are Fran Reidy of Saint Leo, Tom Rubbelke of Concordia St. Paul and Jared Mosley of Abilene Christian. 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.
