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Grand Canyon's Keith Baker selected NCAA II West Region Athletic
Director of the Year by NACDA
ORLANDO, FL - Grand Canyon University's Keith Baker has been selected the 2008-09 NCAA Division II West Region Under Armour Athletic Director of the Year.
The honor was announcement by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics on June 16 and will be presented during the 44th Annual NACDA Convention at the James J. Corbett Luncheon on Saturday, June 20, at the World Center Marriott Resort in Orlando, FL.
"It's always nice to have others recognize that they think you've done a great job," Baker said. "It's an acknowledgement of what the institution has been able to accomplish. We redefined ourselves institutionally and have gone through some difficult scenarios, and we're moving forward to what we think is a better day."
Baker, who graduated from Grand Canyon in 1982 with a double major in business administration and communications, has worked as the school's sports information director, men's golf coach, women's volleyball coach, assistant athletic director and athletic director at different times over the past 26 years.
He also has served as the Antelopes play-by-play announcer, filling the Lopes' airwaves with his excellent broadcasting skills.
Baker pitched on Grand Canyon 's first three NAIA National Championship baseball teams from 1980-82. He is the last pitcher in Antelope history to throw a no-hitter, doing so on March 11, 1982, against Nebraska Wesleyan University.
"It's kind of evident if you hang around long enough, somebody will notice you," Baker said laughing. "Every now and then it's just nice to hear somebody say that you're doing a good job. I've always looked at those things as a little bit humbling. You do what you do not because of awards and recognition, but because it's what you enjoy doing."
NACDA announced a total of 29 Athletic Director of the Year awards. The winners represent four geographic regions - Northeast, Southeast, Central and West, while the membership is separated into seven categories:
- Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division I-A)
- Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA)
- Division I (formerly Division I-AAA)
- Division II
- Division III
- NAIA
- Junior/Community Colleges
- International
One winner was selected in each of the seven categories, for a total of 28 honorees, along with one international recipient. The award highlights the efforts of athletics directors at all levels for their commitment and positive contributions to campuses and their surrounding communities.
All NACDA-member directors of athletics in the United States, Canada and Mexico who meet the prescribed criteria are eligible for the award. The criteria consists of:
- Service as an athletic director for a minimum of five academic years
- The demonstration of commitment to higher education and student-athletes
- Continuous teamwork, loyalty and excellence
- The ability to inspire individuals or groups to high levels of accomplishments.
Additionally, each athletic director's institution must have passed a compliance check through its appropriate governing body (i.e., NCAA, NAIA, etc.) in which the institution may not have been on probation or cited for a lack of institutional control within the last five years during the tenure of the current director.
Nominators were NACDA-member directors of athletics, institutional presidents and conference commissioners. Special Selection Committees composed of current and former directors of athletics, present and past NCAA and NAIA presidents, current and former commissioners, and other key athletics administrators voted on nominees for the award.
Now in its 45th year, NACDA is the professional and educational association for more than 6,500 college athletics administrators at more than 1,600 institutions throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico. More than 2,300 athletics administrators annually attend the NACDA Convention. Additionally, NACDA administers 11 professional associations for the separate business units that report directly to the athletics director.
