(ANAHEIM, CA)---The National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) has named West Liberty University’s Jim Watson as the winner of the 2010 NCAA Division II Under Armour Southeast Region Athletic Director of the Year Award.
Now in his third decade at the head of the West Liberty athletic department, Watson was one of only four NCAA Division II athletic directors to be honored. The awards, which recognize the recipients for their commitment and positive contributions to their campuses and surrounding communities, will be presented during Thursday’s James J. Corbett Awards Luncheon at the 45th annual NACDA Convention in Anaheim.
“Our Honors and Awards Committee recognized the need for an award such as the Athletic Director of the Year,” said NACDA Executive Director Mike Cleary. “The program brings to light the exceptional jobs done by athletics directors across the country. The winners exemplify that, providing us with a group of outstanding athletic directors who excel at their jobs.”
Athletic directors were nominated by NACDA-member directors of athletics, institutional presidents and conference commissioners. The awards were voted on by Special Selection Committees composed of current and former directors of athletics, present and past NCAA and NAIA presidents, current and former conference commissioners and other key athletics administrators.
An NAIA to NCAA Division II transition, numerous facility upgrades, the departmental utilization of new technology and the success of West Liberty University student-athletes highlight Watson’s 21 years as director of athletics.
Watson came to West Liberty as head baseball coach and athletics trainer in 1971. After becoming athletics director in 1989, he was the driving force behind West Liberty’s move from the NAIA to NCAA Division II. The rest of the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WVIAC) followed three years later.
Watson has been very active with the NCAA, serving on the Division II Management Council (4-year term) along with the Division II Membership Committee and the NCAA Olympic Sports Liaison Committee. He also was a member of the Division II Membership Growth Team and the Division II Financial Aid Project Team.
Watson has presided over a major upgrade in athletic facilities. The state-of-the-art Academic, Sports and Recreation Complex opened in 2000 as a monument to his tireless funding and planning efforts. Renovations of the football, baseball and tennis complexes have also been completed with a new softball facility opening this spring. Watson has kept West Liberty ahead of the technological curve, supplementing broad-based television coverage with live streaming audio and video to help create one of the best athletics Web sites in Division II.
Inducted into the West Liberty Hall of Fame in 2000, Watson lives in Wheeling with his wife, Lynn, and their three children: Matthew (28), Brian (25) and Jena (19).
Now in its 45th year, NACDA is the professional and educational association for more than 6,500 college athletics administrators at more than 1,600 institutions throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico. More than 2,300 athletics administrators are expected to be in attendance at this week’s annual convention.