The National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics has selected Bob Bronzan of San Jose State University as the recipient of the 39th James J. Corbett Memorial Award.

Bronzan retired in 1980 as director of athletics, head football coach and professor at San Jose State. He also is a past president of NACDA.

The Corbett Award is presented annually to the collegiate administrator who "through the years has most typified Corbett's devotion to intercollegiate athletics and worked unceasingly for its betterment." Corbett, athletics director at Louisiana State University, was NACDA's first president in 1965. The award is the highest honor the organization presents for collegiate athletics administration.

Additionally, Bronzan will receive an honorary degree from the Sports Management Institute, an educational institute sponsored by NACDA and the universities of Michigan, North Carolina, Notre Dame, South Carolina, Southern California and Texas.

A member of the San Jose State football team from 1937 to 1939, Bronzan returned to his alma mater in 1946 as an assistant football coach and assistant professor after serving almost four years as an officer in the U. S. Air Force in World War II. In 1950, he was appointed head football coach at San Jose State at the age of 31, earning the distinction of being the youngest Division I head football coach at that time. He coached through the 1956 season. In 1960, he took on the role of athletics director, in addition to maintaining his responsibilities as a professor. Bronzan served in that capacity until 1972, yet he remained at San Jose State as a professor until his retirement in 1980.

Bronzan, who earned his master's and doctorate degrees from Stanford University, has been honored many times for his contributions as a student-athlete, coach, athletics director and professor. He also has been inducted into the NACDA, San Jose State and California Community Colleges Football Coaches Association halls of fame. Additionally, Bronzan is one of five people to have been honored with the NACDA Merit Award.

Bronzan has the distinction of being the only coach who has had two former players serve as head coaches of NFL Super Bowl champions (San Francisco's Bill Walsh and current Kansas City coach Dick Vermeil when he was with the St. Louis Rams). Additionally, Bronzan guided 19 university, 29 community college and about 150 high-school coaches into head coaching and assistant coaching positions throughout the country.

His mentoring and teaching skills also were evident in the classroom. Bronzan began his career in 1940 as a graduate teacher at the University of California, Los Angeles. He was a professor at San Jose State for 34 years in the department of human performance. He has written several publications on subjects such as the planning and funding of athletics facilities, and public relations, promotions and fund-raising for athletics.

Bronzan was NACDA's second president in 1967-68. Additionally, he chaired the NCAA Football Centennial, NCAA Football Advancement and NCAA Baseball Legislative committees. He also was an advisory member of the NCAA Football Playoff and Football Rules Committees.

"When I scan the names of previous recipients of the Corbett Award, I am humbled by the honor of joining those individuals who contributed so much to NACDA and to the whole of intercollegiate athletics," Bronzan said. "It is a privilege to personally know or have known each recipient. NACDA has attained its pre-eminent role in the affairs of intercollegiate athletics through the leadership, vision, dedication and enthusiasm exhibited by recipients of the Corbett Award. I am certain that among our membership there are many worthy candidates of the award."