Mike Covone Selected As Southeast Region AD of the Year

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – The National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) announced the 25 winners of the GeneralSports TURF Systems AD of the Year Award (ADOY) today, including Michael L. Covone of Barry University.

Covone has been affiliated with Barry University since the inception of the athletics program in 1984 and has been the athletics director since 1998. He had previously been the head women's soccer coach, earning National Soccer Coaches Association of America Coach of the Year honors twice and regional coach of the year awards three times. He led the Bucs to three women’s soccer national titles, in 1989 and back-to-back titles in 1992 and 1993.

In 1997, he was inducted into the Sunshine State Conference (SSC) Hall of Fame. Covone serves on the NCAA Management Council, Membership Committee Strategic Task Force, Championship/Eligibility Project Team and the Division II Championship, Division II Identity and the Orange Bowl committees. He recently chaired the NCAA South Regional Basketball and the SSC Basketball Tournament committees. During Covone's tenure, Barry has produced 82 All-Americans and 70 Scholar All-Americans, two NCAA Women of the Year top 10 finalists, two Florida NCAA Women of the Year Award winners, an NCAA Walter Byers Scholarship recipient and an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship recipient. Barry also won two volleyball, 22 SSC titles and two SSC Women's Mayor's Cup trophies. Barry completed the 1997-98 year ranked third in the NACDA Directors' Cup, while finishing in the top 25 percent of the Directors’ Cup standings in the last nine years. They have been the highest placing private institution in the Cup standings three times since 1998.

In the classroom, Barry has the highest graduation rate in the SSC. Covone received his bachelor's and master's degree from Barry.

All NACDA-member directors of athletics in the United States, Canada and Mexico who met the criteria were eligible for the award. Among the criteria were service as an AD for a minimum of five academic years; demonstration of commitment to higher education and student-athletes; continuous teamwork, loyalty and excellence; and the ability to inspire individuals or groups to high levels of accomplishments. Additionally, each AD’s institution must have passed a compliance check through its appropriate governing body (i.e., NCAA, NAIA, etc.), in which the institution could not have been on probation or cited for a lack of institutional control within the last five years during the tenure of the current athletics director.

There are four geographic regions - northeast, southeast, central and west; while the membership is separated into six categories - Division I-A; Division I-AA/I-AAA combined; Division II, Division III; NAIA; and Junior/Community Colleges. One winner was selected in each of the six categories, along with a cross-divisional International winner for a total of 25 honorees. Winners will receive their awards during the James J. Corbett Awards Luncheon at NACDA’s 40th Anniversary Convention at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida.

NACDA Executive Director Mike Cleary says the ADOY Award is essential because it highlights the efforts of athletics directors at all levels for their commitment and positive contributions to campuses and their surrounding communities.

“Our Honors and Awards Committee recognized a need for an award such as the AD of the Year,” said Cleary, who oversaw implementation of the program to allow all NACDA Officers and Honors and Awards Committee members to participate in the awards process, should they be elected. “The program brings to light the exceptional jobs done by athletics directors across the country. These 25 winners exemplify that, providing us with a group of outstanding athletics directors who excel at their jobs.”