June 16, 2009

ORLANDO, FLA. - - Belmont University Director of Athletics Mike Strickland has been named 2008-09 Under Armour Division I Southeast Region Athletic Director of the Year, the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) announced Tuesday.

Strickland is one of 29 honorees from four geographic regions within NACDA's seven membership divisions.

Since his arrival in Nashville in 1996, Strickland has led Belmont Athletics through its early stages as a fledgling NCAA Division I program to one which enjoys annual success on the playing field and in the classroom.

During his 13 year tenure, Strickland has overseen a program expansion from 11 to 17 teams of competition, spearheaded membership into the Atlantic Sun Conference, spurred athletic facility enhancement and forged a reputation of producing winning teams and distinguished student-athletes.

In 2008, Belmont became the first school in Atlantic Sun Conference history to represent the league in three consecutive NCAA Men's Basketball Championships.

Adding conference championships in women's cross country, women's soccer and volleyball during the past academic year, Belmont Athletics has won a staggering 26 Atlantic Sun Conference Championships since becoming a member institution in 2001-02 - far and away the league standard.

"I've known Mike for a long time, and this honor is richly deserved," Belmont Associate Athletic Director Steve Barrick said. "Mike's leadership and vision for our program have been central to our successes. He creates an environment where coaches, staff, and most importantly, student-athletes, can thrive."

Off the field, Strickland has made academic achievement the cornerstone of his definition of success. Made official at the Atlantic Sun Conference meetings last week, Belmont won the 2008-09 Atlantic Sun All-Academic Trophy. This marks the seventh time in its eight year history as an Atlantic Sun member institution that Belmont has held the greatest number of student-athletes with a grade-point average of 3.0 or higher during their semester of competition.

Furthermore, eight Belmont student-athletes received ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District honors this year - a new program record. All told, Belmont has garnered Academic All-District recognition 45 times over the past eight years.

Strickland has expertly hired dedicated and inspiring coaches to lead Belmont's teams; nine current Bruin head coaches have been named Atlantic Sun Conference Coach of the Year.

Another unquestioned indication of Belmont's ascension during Strickland's tenure is the program's vast facility improvement. The construction of the Curb Event Center, a $52 million facility which opened in the fall of 2003, has become the centerpiece of the Belmont Athletics' program. The multi-purpose complex houses a 5,000-seat arena for basketball and volleyball, locker rooms for all sports, a training facility and weight room, as well as administrative offices for the Athletic Department.

In addition, the University has built the Frances Bond Davis Tennis Courts and the Whitten Soccer Complex. The latest initiative is a partnership with Metro Parks for athletic fields at Rose Park. This exciting new venture will house Belmont baseball, softball, soccer, and track & field.

Strickland has taken a leadership role in the A-Sun serving as chairman of the tournament committee and presently serves as a member of the conference's membership committee. Belmont has also hosted nine conference championships over the past five years.

Strickland spent nine years as athletic director at Murray State University before coming to Belmont. While at Murray State, Strickland served on numerous Ohio Valley Conference committees as well as serving on the NCAA FCS football advisory committee and the NCAA rifle committee.

Prior to serving at Murray State, Strickland was an Associate Athletic Director at Wichita State University from 1983-87, where he was responsible for all business operations for the department.

Strickland earned his bachelor's degree in political science from Georgia Southern University and a master's degree in public administration from the University of Georgia.

Strickland is married to the former Martha Thomas, an English instructor at Nashville State Community College. The couple has two children: Leanna Elizabeth, an undergraduate student at the University of Tennessee, and Sara Grace, a Belmont University graduate who is married to Jared Vaughn.

Pat Meiser of the University of Hartford, Jean Lenti Ponsetto of DePaul University and Mike Roth of Gonzaga University were the other honorees for Division I.

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.

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.

Belmont University

Belmont University, host of the 2008 Town Hall Presidential Debate, is a fast-growing community of 5,000 students who come from every state and 29 countries. Committed to being a leader among teaching universities, Belmont brings together the best of liberal arts and professional education in a Christian community of learning and service. The university's purpose is to help students explore their passions and develop their talents to meet the world's needs. With more than 75 areas of study, 12 master's programs and three doctoral degrees, there is no limit to the ways Belmont University can expand an individual's horizon.