CLEVELAND – Bob Vecchione, who has served as Chief Executive Officer of the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) since July 2011, has announced that he will step down on Dec. 31, 2022, and transition into a Director Emeritus role within the organization for the next three years. Long-time NACDA staffer and current Senior Executive Vice President Pat Manak has been selected by the NACDA Board to assume the role of CEO at the end of the calendar year.
 
Only the second individual to serve as NACDA's Executive Director, following in the footsteps of 46-year leader Mike Cleary, Vecchione is in his 30th year of service to the 22,500-member organization. From its humble beginnings in 1965, the NACDA family has grown to include 18 professional Associations, one affiliate and four Foundations, each representing either an athletics director association or business unit reporting to the athletics director.
 
In addition to the seven athletics directors associations -- NACDA, the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) ADA, Division I-AAA ADA, Division 2 ADA, NADIIIAA (Division III), NATYCAA (Two-Year Colleges) and NAIA-ADA -- NACDA also oversees the following organizations: CABMA (business managers), CEFMA (event/facility managers), D2 CCA (Division II commissioners), DIIICA (Division III commissioners), ICLA (licensing), MOAA (minority advancement), N4A (academic advisors and student-athlete development), NAAC (compliance), NAADD (development), NAATSO (ticketing) and NACMA (marketing), and has a unique hybrid relationship with CoSIDA (sports communicators) which Vecchione created during his tenure.
 
"First and foremost, I would like to thank my wife, Mary, and children, Amy and Bobby, for supporting me through the past 30 years. Whatever levels of success or recognition I attained, it could not have happened without their support," said Vecchione. "I would also like to thank our numerous staff members who have worked tirelessly to not only enhance, manage and support the NACDA membership but doing so under the guise of the principles passed down to all of us from Mr. Cleary!
 
"I am humbled to have worked with NACDA's Past Presidents and Executive Committee members who have been intercollegiate athletics' best and brightest leaders during the past 30 years and I am blessed to call them friends," he added. "Lastly, I would like to personally thank Rick Hart, Jamie Pollard and our current Board members for honoring me with an Emeritus title, but please know that my preferred title going forward will be 'Pop' to my four grandchildren!"
 
Prior to becoming NACDA's CEO, Vecchione was responsible for orchestrating the Association's external growth and management. In addition to the 18 Affiliate Associations created, numerous programs have been developed that provide value-added benefits to NACDA's ever-growing membership. He has also led the advancement of NACDA's technological capabilities to better serve its constituencies.
 
Programs like the McLendon Minority Leadership Initiative (MLI), Senior Administrators Mentoring Institute, LEARFIELD Directors' Cup, Cushman & Wakefield Athletics Director of the Year Award, NACDA Daily Review, and the Wounded Warrior Project® are just a few of the value-added membership benefits created on Vecchione's watch.
 
"Under Bob Vecchione's leadership, NACDA has evolved into the most powerful professional organization within intercollegiate athletics," said 2022-23 NACDA President and SMU Director of Athletics Rick Hart. "His vision has allowed NACDA to expand upon its core mission while continuing to provide unique professional educational opportunities to help grow its members and the industry.
 
"Following a legend is never easy, but during his tenure as CEO, Bob successfully built upon the foundation Mike Cleary established and on behalf of the entire NACDA family, we thank him for his dedicated service to our membership and are grateful that he has agreed to serve in an Emeritus role for the next three years as we transition to a new CEO," Hart added.
 
The Annual NACDA & Affiliates Convention has tripled in revenue generation and grown to become the nation's premier gathering of athletics administrators under Vecchione's direction. The annual Convention attracts more than 6,500 administrators representing 1,200 institutions, and over 300 corporate exhibitors. Additionally, Vecchione developed a multi-tiered sponsorship program that includes more than 25 corporate partners that provide more than $2 million in monies, goods and services to the organization.
 
During the COVID-19 pandemic, NACDA was unable to host in-person meetings, so Vecchione and his staff created a virtual programming series that featured more than 300 hours of professional development curriculum to benefit the membership. In addition, the 2021 NACDA & Affiliates Convention, including the exhibit hall, was held virtually, featuring over 50 individual sessions and meetings that attracted more than 3,000 attendees.
 
Vecchione directs the planning and execution of five events annually that provide networking and professional development opportunities for NACDA & Affiliates members. In addition to the National Convention, these events include the NACDA FBS Leadership Summit, held in conjunction with the College Football Playoff National Championship, the NCAA Men's Final Four Pre-Game Reception, the NACDA Spring Symposium and the NACDA & Affiliates Fall Forum.
 
Before joining the NACDA staff, Vecchione was an Assistant Athletics Director/Media Relations in the men's athletics department at the University of Minnesota, where he also served as the Executive Director of the 1992 Twin Cities Final Four Organizing Committee. He also enjoyed an 11-year career at National Car Rental and positioned it as one of the NCAA's original corporate partners.
 
Vecchione is a member of the National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Hall of Fame Board of Directors, the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission, the Collegiate Women Sports Awards Presented by Honda and Delta Dental of Kentucky. He also serves as President of the Michael J. Cleary Northeastern Ohio Chapter of the National Football Foundation and Treasurer of the McLendon Foundation.
 
Vecchione and his wife, Mary, live in Westlake, Ohio, and have a daughter, Amy (Colin), a son, Bobby (Mackenzie), and four grandchildren. He earned a baseball scholarship to Missouri Western State University and was presented with its 2014 Distinguished Alumni Award. Previously, he was recognized by the University with its Silver Anniversary Award.
 
Taking over for Vecchione will be Manak, a 30-year NACDA veteran. Starting with an internship in 1992, Manak has worked his way up through the organization, holding a variety of roles including Deputy Executive Director before his promotion to Senior Executive Vice President in 2019.
 
Manak currently serves as staff administrator for the largest annual Convention within intercollegiate athletics, the NACDA & Affiliates Convention Week, as well as the NACDA FBS Leadership Summit, the Men's Final Four Pre-Game Reception and NACDA Mid-Winter Meetings. He also coordinates internal Association operations and is a senior staff administrator for all 18 NACDA Affiliate Associations and the Internship Program. He assists Vecchione with strategic and future planning, financial management, personnel decisions and marketing and communications for the largest association of athletics administrators in the country.
 
"I am extremely grateful to the NACDA Board of Directors for their confidence and trust in me," said Manak. "To follow in the footsteps of Mike Cleary and Bob Vecchione is truly a humbling experience. I'm honored for this opportunity and I look forward to leading this great organization into the future."
 
"I want to congratulate Pat on his appointment as CEO of NACDA," said Hart. "Pat has dedicated his career to serving our membership – and earned our collective respect while doing so. Pat has played a key role in the health, growth and trajectory NACDA enjoys today. Over the course of our interviews, Pat clearly articulated his understanding for the short-term and long-term opportunities for NACDA as well as his vision for the future. The Board is looking forward to partnering with and supporting Pat as he builds upon the legacies established by Mike Cleary and Bob Vecchione.
 
"I'd also like to thank my fellow NACDA Board members and, in particular, Past President Jamie Pollard, AD at Iowa State University, for the leadership role he played since Bob shared his decision to retire."
 
About NACDA: Now in its 58th year, NACDA is the professional and educational Association for more than 22,000 college athletics administrators at more than 2,200 institutions throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico. NACDA manages 18 professional associations and four foundations. In addition to virtual programming, NACDA hosts five major professional development events in-person annually. The NACDA & Affiliates Convention is the largest gathering of collegiate athletics administrators in the country. For more information, visit www.nacda.com.