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NCAA News Archive - 2007
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Brandeis honored as ECAC Institution of the Year
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By Leilana McKindra
The NCAA News
The NCAA News
Brandeis University has received the 2007 Jostens Institution of the Year award, presented annually to the Eastern College Athletic Conference institution that best exemplifies the highest standards of collegiate academics and athletics performance.
The award is based on the participation and success of an institution’s athletics program. Selection criteria includes the academic success of an institution’s student-athletes, the number of teams from that institution selected for ECAC and NCAA championships, institutional representation on ECAC selection and administrative committees and the number of ECAC championships hosted by an institution.
“This is a tremendous honor,” said Brandeis University Director of Athletics Sheryl Sousa. “The ECAC has held an important role in Brandeis athletics over the years, and we are proud to be a part of this respected organization. To be recognized for our success is a tribute to our dedicated staff of coaches and administrators.”
Brandeis is a member of the University Athletic Association, and offers 21 varsity sports to 3,304 undergraduate students. Four Brandeis teams reached the semifinals in the ECAC Division III New England Championships in 2006-07, 156 student-athletes earned UAA academic honors and three student-athletes were named to CoSIDA/ESPN the Magazine Academic All-District teams.
The ECAC is the largest athletics and only multidivisional conference in the nation with 321 Divisions I, II and II colleges and universities.
Kelly, who will co-direct the department with Bill Sullivan, will retain her women’s basketball coaching duties.
“I wouldn’t say that coming out of college my goal was to get into athletics administration — my ultimate goal was to get involved with athletics in women’s basketball,” Kelly said. “But I got the opportunity to do both women’s basketball and administration at Mercy. We’re just going to run with it.”
Kelly was named head women’s basketball coach and assistant AD for student services in June 2006. At the time, the women’s basketball program had lost 50 straight games and was coming off two consecutive winless seasons. Kelly’s Mavericks went 7-19, including five wins in the East Coast Conference.
Sullivan has served as assistant athletics director for internal operations since February 2006 and is in his 14th year as head baseball coach after serving three years as an assistant coach.
Sullivan and Kelly succeed Kevin T. McGinniss, who resigned in August to become director of athletics development at the University of Rhode Island. Kelly said McGinniss’ vision of taking Mercy to a higher level will remain unchanged under the leadership she and Sullivan will provide.
“The ultimate goal is to take it to another level, not only with the athletics teams, but with the department and the Mercy College community as a whole,” Kelly said. “There will be no hesitation going forward. We’re going in the right direction.”
The academy provides skills training for coaches at all levels and is designed to increase individual effectiveness through new skills and strategies that go beyond the X’s and O’s but are still relevant for coaches.
Tuition and room and board are free for all NCAA coaches, but travel must be paid by the attendee. Registration is first come, first served. Each academy is limited to 25 participants, though some consideration is given to balancing the academy for division, sport, head and assistant coaches and ethnic minority participation.
The Women Coaches Academy emanated from a 2002 NCAA Committee on Women’s Athletics-supported initiative to train, support and retain women coaches and has graduated nine classes since it was established five years ago. The goals of the outreach are to provide female coaches with skills development and mentoring and increase retention among women in the profession.
To register or for more information, visit http://www.coachesacademy.org/ncaa.php. Questions also may be directed to Celia Slater at 727/517-6764 or info@coachesacademy.org.
The award is based on the participation and success of an institution’s athletics program. Selection criteria includes the academic success of an institution’s student-athletes, the number of teams from that institution selected for ECAC and NCAA championships, institutional representation on ECAC selection and administrative committees and the number of ECAC championships hosted by an institution.
“This is a tremendous honor,” said Brandeis University Director of Athletics Sheryl Sousa. “The ECAC has held an important role in Brandeis athletics over the years, and we are proud to be a part of this respected organization. To be recognized for our success is a tribute to our dedicated staff of coaches and administrators.”
Brandeis is a member of the University Athletic Association, and offers 21 varsity sports to 3,304 undergraduate students. Four Brandeis teams reached the semifinals in the ECAC Division III New England Championships in 2006-07, 156 student-athletes earned UAA academic honors and three student-athletes were named to CoSIDA/ESPN the Magazine Academic All-District teams.
The ECAC is the largest athletics and only multidivisional conference in the nation with 321 Divisions I, II and II colleges and universities.
Mercy College director not too young to lead
When Mercy College officials appointed Ashlee Kelly as co-interim director of athletics, they may have made the 25-year-old the youngest AD in the NCAA.Kelly, who will co-direct the department with Bill Sullivan, will retain her women’s basketball coaching duties.
“I wouldn’t say that coming out of college my goal was to get into athletics administration — my ultimate goal was to get involved with athletics in women’s basketball,” Kelly said. “But I got the opportunity to do both women’s basketball and administration at Mercy. We’re just going to run with it.”
Kelly was named head women’s basketball coach and assistant AD for student services in June 2006. At the time, the women’s basketball program had lost 50 straight games and was coming off two consecutive winless seasons. Kelly’s Mavericks went 7-19, including five wins in the East Coast Conference.
Sullivan has served as assistant athletics director for internal operations since February 2006 and is in his 14th year as head baseball coach after serving three years as an assistant coach.
Sullivan and Kelly succeed Kevin T. McGinniss, who resigned in August to become director of athletics development at the University of Rhode Island. Kelly said McGinniss’ vision of taking Mercy to a higher level will remain unchanged under the leadership she and Sullivan will provide.
“The ultimate goal is to take it to another level, not only with the athletics teams, but with the department and the Mercy College community as a whole,” Kelly said. “There will be no hesitation going forward. We’re going in the right direction.”
Next Women Coaches Academy ready to go
Registration for the next session of the NCAA Women Coaches Academy will open online at noon Eastern time October 11. The academy, which is open to any coach from any sport and any division, will be held December 13-17 in Denver.The academy provides skills training for coaches at all levels and is designed to increase individual effectiveness through new skills and strategies that go beyond the X’s and O’s but are still relevant for coaches.
Tuition and room and board are free for all NCAA coaches, but travel must be paid by the attendee. Registration is first come, first served. Each academy is limited to 25 participants, though some consideration is given to balancing the academy for division, sport, head and assistant coaches and ethnic minority participation.
The Women Coaches Academy emanated from a 2002 NCAA Committee on Women’s Athletics-supported initiative to train, support and retain women coaches and has graduated nine classes since it was established five years ago. The goals of the outreach are to provide female coaches with skills development and mentoring and increase retention among women in the profession.
To register or for more information, visit http://www.coachesacademy.org/ncaa.php. Questions also may be directed to Celia Slater at 727/517-6764 or info@coachesacademy.org.
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