McDonald Selected NACDA/Under Armour AD of the Year
MAAC Sports
Courtesy Quinnipiac Athletics
EDISON, N.J. -- Jack McDonald of Quinnipiac University was honored by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) as one of 28 winners of the Under Armour AD of the Year Award, as announced by NACDA on Wednesday, May 14.
In his 19th year as Director of Athletics and Recreation, McDonald has guided Quinnipiac into a broad-based Division I athletics program that consists of 21 varsity sports. Since his first year in 1997, Quinnipiac has featured 30 teams winning conference championships.
In 2012-13, Quinnipiac saw four teams win conference championships, five advance to the NCAA or national tournaments and three teams advance to the Final Four –with two reaching the national
championship final. The Bobcats also posted their highest department-wide grade-point average as well as the largest number of student-athletes with a GPA of 3.1 or higher.
In 2012-13, McDonald spearheaded Quinnipiac’s membership to the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) and also guided Quinnipiac’s successful bid to host the 2014 NCAA Women’s Ice Hockey Frozen Four. McDonald also secured Quinnipiac first NCAA Certification as a Division I athletic program and has constructed membership inclusion with the MAAC, ECAC Hockey, Northeast Conference, MAAC Hockey and NCATA.
McDonald also the driving force behind the TD Bank Sports Center, a 160,000 square foot facility with separate state-of-the-art men’s and women’s basketball and ice hockey venues.
Before Quinnipiac, McDonald served as director of athletics at the University of Denver (1990-95) and assistant athletic director for marketing at Boston College (1987-90).
The award spans seven divisions (NCAA FBS, FCS; Division I-AAA, II, III, NAIA/Other Four-Year Institutions and Junior College/Community Colleges). Winners will receive their awards during the James J. Corbett Awards Luncheon on Wednesday, June 11 at NACDA's 49th Annual Convention at the World Center Marriott Resort in Orlando, Fla.