Barry University Athletics Director Michael L. Covone has been appointed to the Division II Management Council as the representative of the Sunshine State Conference.

Covone is an 18-year veteran at Barry. As the first women's soccer coach at the institution, he led the Buccaneers to national prominence, advancing to the national finals six times in 11 seasons and winning three national titles. His .798 winning percentage is still the best in Division II.

From 1988 to 1996, he was associate director of athletics at Barry. In 1998, he was promoted to executive associate director of athletics. Since 1998, he has been the director of athletics of one of the most successful Division II programs in the nation. The Buccaneers have finished in the top 20 percent in the Sears Directors Cup competition for the past six years, including a third-place finish in 1998.

Covone also has been involved with many NCAA committees, including the NCAA Committee on Sportsmanship and Ethical Conduct and the NCAA men's basketball South regional advisory committee. He has served on the Orange Bowl Committee and is the chair of the Sunshine State Conference's Strategic Planning Committee.