NACDA Release (Link)
SAN ANGELO – Angelo State Director of Athletics Kathleen Brasfield was one of 28 winners of the Under Armour AD of the Year Award (ADOY), voted as the top athletic director in NCAA Division II's West Region as announced by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) Monday.
Brasfield has been a fixture at Angelo State University and held a powerful presence in NCAA Division II for more than 30 years. Brasfield was hired as the women's athletics director in 1982 and started leading the entire department in 2004, expanding the department to 13 intercollegiate sports. The most recent additions include baseball (2005), women's golf (2009) and women's indoor track (2011). Under Brasfield's guidance, ASU won its first two NCAA National Championships – softball in 2004 and women's track and field (2010).
Brasfield was instrumental in securing the first-ever endowment solely for Angelo State athletics – a $1 million gift to benefit ASU student-athletes for years to come. The donors of the endowment provided an additional $100,000 for a new scoreboard at the recently renamed LeGrand Sports Complex, and improvements to the track facility prior to the NCAA Division II National Championships in 2009, which ASU hosted for the fifth time. Brasfield also served on the Division II Management Council and served as chair of the council in 2010. She's also spent time on the NCAA DII Volleyball Regional Advisory Committee and spent four seasons on the NCAA DII Volleyball National Advisory Committee, acting as national chair in 2004.
NACDA Executive Director Mike Cleary 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.
"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 outstanding jobs done by athletics directors across the country. These 28 winners exemplify that, providing us with a group of exemplary athletics directors who excel at their jobs."
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.
Winners will receive their awards during the James J. Corbett Awards Luncheon on Saturday, June 18 at NACDA's 46th Annual Convention at the World Center Marriott Resort in Orlando, Fla.
AngeloSports.com: Your online source for Angelo State Athletics news, multimedia, photos and more.
