Stevens Director of Athletics Russell Rogers Named Division III Southeast AD of the Year by NACDA
ORLANDO, Fla. (June 16, 2009) – The National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) announced the 29 winners of the Under Armour AD of the Year Award (ADOY) on Tuesday, and Stevens Institute of Technology Director of Athletics Russell Rogers (Branchburg, N.J.) was the Division III Southeast winner. The winners will be recognized during the 44th Annual NACDA Convention at the James J. Corbett Luncheon on Saturday, June 20 at the World Center Marriott Resort in Orlando, Florida.
“It is truly an honor to receive this award and I would like to thank NACDA and its selection committee for considering me,” said Rogers. “This recognition is a reflection of the outstanding support that Stevens has provided our athletic program for the last several years, and the tremendous commitment and vision of success shared by our department’s staff and student-athletes.”
There are 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; and Junior/Community Colleges, along with one International winner. One winner was selected in each of the seven categories, for a total of 29 honorees. Winners will receive their awards during the James J. Corbett Awards Luncheon at NACDA's 44th Annual Convention at the Orlando World Center Marriott Resort.
NACDA Executive Director Mike Cleary explains 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 29 winners exemplify that, providing us with a group of outstanding athletics directors who excel at their jobs."
Since assuming the position of Director of Physical Education, Athletics, and Recreation on July 31, 2000, Russell Rogers has spearheaded a period of rapid growth and development of the intercollegiate athletic programs at Stevens Institute of Technology. During his eighth year as athletic director in 2007-08, Rogers led Stevens’ transition into the Empire 8 Athletic Conference from the Skyline Conference. This move has positioned Stevens alongside some of the most prestigious athletic programs in the country.
Stevens vice president, Dr. Maureen Weatherall '78, congratulates Rogers by noting the excellence he brings to every aspect of his role at Stevens.
"Russell has developed our varsity athletics into one of the elite programs in the country. At the same time he has developed robust club sport and wellness offerings which positively impact all Stevens students, faculty and staff. It is a privilege to work with him."
Under Rogers’ direction, the Stevens athletic programs have reached unprecedented levels of success over the past few years. In 2001, the men’s lacrosse program became the first-ever Stevens team to qualify for the NCAA tournament. Since that time, the Ducks have sent at least one team to the NCAA tournament each year during Rogers’ tenure as athletic director. During the 2005-06 year, three teams – men’s soccer, women’s soccer, and men’s lacrosse – advanced all the way to the Sweet 16 of the national tournament. Last year, Stevens sent three teams to the NCAA Tournament, which included a second-straight berth in the national quarterfinals by the women’s volleyball team. In addition, individuals in men’s fencing, men’s swimming, and wrestling advanced to national competitions in their sports.
The fall of the 2008-09 school year was one of the best in the history of Stevens. The men’s soccer team won the Empire 8 for the second-straight season and advanced to the National Championship game. It was the furthest any team in the history of Stevens had ever advanced at an NCAA Tournament. The women’s volleyball team also won the conference and made it to the second round of the NCAA’s, and the women’s soccer team won its second Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference (ECAC) Metro title in as many years. In addition, the Stevens field hockey team won the Empire 8 in just its fifth season as a varsity program. The squad also hosted and won an NCAA Tournament game before falling in the round of 16.
The winter and spring seasons followed suit as Stevens teams continued to excel on the national stage. The women’s basketball team won the Empire 8 title, and for the first time in the program’s history, advanced to and won an NCAA Tournament game. The women’s swimming program continued it rapid rise to national prominence with an 11th-place finish at the 2009 NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships as all seven athletes that were selected to compete left Minneapolis as All-Americans.
The men’s volleyball team put together an exceptional run to a Northeast Collegiate Volleyball Association Championship and an appearance in the National Championship match at the MOLTEN Final Four. The squad finished the year ranked second in the nation with a record of 26-7. Additionally, senior middle hitter Andrew Cranford was named the American Volleyball Coaches Association Player of the Year, the first athlete to garner that award in any sport.
The spring seasons saw men’s and women’s lacrosse win ECAC Metro/South Championships and the baseball team reach the ECAC Metro Championship final.
In September of 2008, Stevens was named the ECAC Jostens Institution of the Year for excellence in academics and athletics 2007-08. The school was selected ahead of 320 other NCAA Division I, II, and III institutions in the conference. Stevens also earned the Jostens Community Service Award from the National Association of Division III Athletic Administrators (NADIIIAA) in the ongoing project/activity category for its Duckling Program. It was the fourth time in Rogers’ tenure that the institution has been recognized for its incredible dedication to serving the community.
Stevens’ offering of varsity sports has increased from 17 to 26 sports under Rogers’ leadership. Field hockey, which began play in the fall of 2004, became the fourth new women’s sport to be introduced since the 2000-01 academic year, and softball will begin varsity competition in the fall of 2009. On the men’s side, wrestling was added in 2004-05. Golf began play in the fall of 2006.
All of Stevens’ athletic programs have benefited from Rogers’ efforts. During his nine years as athletic director, the teams combined for an overall record of 2,004-1,122-34, which translates to an impressive 0.640 winning percentage. In fact, during the 2007-08 year, the athletic department experienced the highest winning percentage in school history as the teams combined for a 0.693 winning percentage (277-121-6). In 2006-07, Stevens finished the year ranked number 55 in the country and first among all technology-based institutions in the Directors’ Cup standings.
In addition to their achievement on the playing fields, the student-athletes have also excelled in the classroom. The cumulative grade-point average for all teams combined has consistently exceeded 3.1 during Rogers’ tenure.
Under Rogers’ watch, the athletic facilities have also received a major facelift. The De Baun Athletic Complex, an artificial turf field complex which serves as home to the soccer, lacrosse, field hockey, and baseball teams, replaced the existing grass field in the fall of 2001. Then, in the summer of 2007, the NeXturf surface was replaced with state-of-the-art FieldTurf system.
In the fall of 2004, Walker Gymnasium was reopened following a multimillion-dollar renovation that saw the addition of new locker rooms, offices, a recruiting lounge, a varsity weight room, and a newly-refurbished gymnasium. Over the course of the last few years, the Stevens Wrestling Room was constructed and the tennis courts underwent a complete renovation.
Rogers’ career at Stevens began in 1995 when he was named the Director of Campus Recreation and head men’s tennis coach. In 1998, he was promoted to the position of Assistant Athletic Director and Sports Information Director. During his time as athletic director, Rogers has served terms as president of both the Skyline Conference and Knickerbocker Lacrosse Conference. He has also served on the NCAA Division III baseball committee and numerous ECAC committees (women’s basketball, men’s lacrosse, and marketing). In July of 2008, he began a two-year term as the Second Vice-President of the Empire 8.
