Moon Township, Pa. – The National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) announced Monday that RMU Vice President & Director of Athletics
Chris King '94 has been named a Cushman & Wakeman Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) Athletics Director of the Year.
"We are grateful for Chris' dedication to fostering a culture of athletic and academic excellence among all of our student-athletes," RMU President
Dr. Michelle Patrick said. "He has my sincere congratulations on this well-deserved recognition."
King was named Vice President and Director of Athletics at RMU May 6, 2019, and the 2022-2023 academic year marks his fourth year leading the Colonials. His leadership has created a culture of cohesiveness and success on the suburban Pittsburgh campus.
King's vision for RMU Athletics is centered around five primary and strategic core values. The five core values are Community, Connection, Commitment to Excellence, Integrity and Resiliency, all of which make up RMU athletics department culture, vision, values and principles. These values have been manifested in the 2022-2023 academic year with the implementation of a customer-centric service approach to the RMU values proposition.
"While I am honored to be recognized by my peers among this distinguished group of Athletics Directors in our industry, these types of awards and recognitions are a direct reflection of the successes and continued growth of our athletics department through dedicated student-athletes, coaches and staff," said King. "This is an opportunity to thank our entire athletics department for their dedication this past year and to share how much I appreciate each of them in how they represent RMU, our community and their belief in our department values and vision. I am extremely appreciative of our Colonial family for their passionate support and I am grateful to President Patrick for her vision and leadership to RMU and RMU Athletics. It is an honor to serve and represent my alma mater and to enact meaningful change for RMU Athletics during the most transformative period in the history of college athletics."
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At the conference level, King serves the Horizon League as the men's basketball administrative liaison and serves as a member of both the basketball championships and the basketball scheduling committees. King currently represents RMU within the Big South Conference as a member of the NACDA FCS ADA Executive Committee and the NCAA Football Championship Committee.
The NACDA Cushman & Wakefield AD of the Year (ADOY) spans seven divisions (NCAA FBS, FCS, Division I-AAA, II, III, NAIA/Other Four-Year Institutions and Junior College/Community Colleges), and winners will be recognized in conjunction with the 58th annual NACDA & Affiliates Convention at the World Center Marriott Resort In Orlando, Fla., at the beginning of the Association-Wide Featured Session on Tuesday, June 13, 2023, at 4:00 p.m.
The ADOY Award highlights the efforts of athletics directors at all levels for their commitment and positive contributions to student-athletes, campuses and their surrounding communities. Cushman & Wakefield is in its second year of sponsoring the award. The ADOY Award program is in its 25th year and has recognized a total of 556 deserving athletics directors to date.
"The Cushman & Wakefield Athletics Director of the Year Award has grown to become a universally recognized and respected honor for leaders in college athletics over the last two decades," said Pat Manak, NACDA Chief Executive Officer. "This year we are proud to honor many seasoned veterans, as well as a few new faces, who have faithfully guided their departments through the steady waves of change the industry has overcome in the last few years. This deserving group of athletics directors are a source of inspiration not only for their peers, but for young administrators everywhere who are climbing the ladder to follow in their footsteps."
The 2023 honors marks the second in five years for King, who was also named a NACDA Under Armour Division I-AAA Athletics of the Year (ADOY) in 2018 while serving as Director of Athletics at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV).
King, a native of Apollo, Pa., is a member of the Armstrong County Sports Hall of Fame, Class of 2019. King is a 1994 graduate of the Robert Morris University sport management program and is a member of the RMU Sport Management Advisory Board and a member of the RMU Sport Management Hall of Fame. In addition to his bachelor's degree from the RMU School of Business, King has a master's in education from Campbell University. He and his wife, Alicia, have two daughters, Kylie and Mackenzie, and the family resides in Moon Township, Pa.
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