Nov. 7, 2008
CLEVELAND, OHIO -- Northeast Ohio has one of the richest football traditions in all of the United States, and the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) is proud to now be a part of that tradition, announcing that it will administer the Northeastern Ohio (NEO) Chapter of the National Football Foundation beginning immediately.
For the past 20 years, the NEO Chapter was administered by Tim Gleason, commissioner of the Ohio Athletic Conference (NCAA Division III). Each year, at the NEO Chapter's Annual Awards Dinner, it honors high and college coaches and student-athletes inside the perimeter of its 14-county area with several prestigious awards and scholarships. Some of these awards include the Paul Brown High School Coach-of-the-Year Award, the Lee Tressel Ohio College Coach-of-the-Year Award, the Dino Lucarelli Lifetime Achievement Award and the Distinguished American Award. High school student-athletes receive scholar-athlete awards, while college student-athletes are awarded postgraduate scholarships.
The 2009 Awards Dinner will take place on May 11 at LaCentre in Westlake, Ohio. NACDA Past President and Ohio State Director of Athletics Gene Smith will be honored with the Chapter's Distinguished American Award, while OSU Head Football Coach Jim Tressel will again be on hand to present the Ohio College Coach-of-the-Year Award, named in honor of his father, Lee.
Some current Division I coaches from the Northeastern Ohio chapter include Urban Meyer, Florida (Ashtabula St. John); Les Miles, LSU (Elyria); Bo Pelini, Nebraska (Cardinal Mooney); Gary Pinkel, Missouri (Akron Kenmore); Frank Solich, Ohio University (Holy Name); Bob Stoops, Oklahoma (Cardinal Mooney); Mike Stoops, Arizona (Cardinal Mooney); Jim Tressel, Ohio State (Berea); and Ron Zook, Illinois (Orrville).
Other entities that run chapters include the Atlantic Coast Conference, the University of Texas, the University of Arkansas and touchdown clubs across the nation.
The National Football Foundation, which was founded in 1947, has a mission to promote and develop the power of amateur football in developing the qualities of leadership, sportsmanship, competitive zeal and the drive for academic excellence in America's young people.
About NACDA: NACDA, now in its 44th year, 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 annually attend the NACDA Convention. Additionally, NACDA administers 11 professional associations that come under the umbrella of the Athletics Director. For more information, visit www.nacda.com.
About The National Football Foundation: Founded in 1947 with leadership from General Douglas MacArthur, legendary Army coach Earl "Red" Blaik and immortal journalist Grantland Rice, The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame, a non-profit educational organization, runs programs designed to use the power of amateur football in developing scholarship, citizenship and athletic achievement in young people. With 121 chapters and 12,000 members nationwide, NFF programs include the College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend, Ind., the NFF Hampshire Honor Society, Play It Smart, and scholarships of over $1 million for college and high school scholar-athletes. The NFF presents the MacArthur Trophy, the Draddy Trophy, presented by HealthSouth, and releases the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) Standings. For more information on the NFF, please visit www.footballfoundation.com.
