By Steve Gilliam , University Relations
Contact: (336) 334-5371
Posted 6-09-08
DALLAS, TX – Director of Athletics Nelson E. Bobb was named the Division I Southeast Region Athletic Director of the Year on Monday when 29 athletic directors from across the country were honored as part of the AstroTurf AD of the Year Awards, which were announced at the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics Convention in Dallas.
“It is a great honor,” said Bobb, who is just completing his 25th year as the Director of Athletics at UNCG. “There is nothing more flattering, more special than to be honored by your peers. Thank you to the Selection Committee for this wonderful recognition.”
“I am delighted that Nelson has received this honor,” said UNCG Chancellor Patricia A. Sullivan. “He has guided UNCG athletics for a quarter of a century and excellence has been a hallmark of our program. This award is well-deserved, and I am proud of the work he has done here.”
Bobb, a native of Gahanna, Ohio, first arrived at UNCG in July of 1983, taking over a program that fielded eight teams on the NCAA Division III level. The University authorized the shift to Division I in February 1987 and he guided the program through the unprecedented change in competitive status in only five years. UNCG is one of only a dozen institutions to ever compete in all three divisions. However, no other institution has made the complete shift of all teams from Division III to Division I in that time frame. Visit the UNCG Athletics website.
During his tenure, he has watched over the construction or renovation of all of the Spartans’ athletic venues. He began that process by serving on the committee that built Fleming Gymnasium and the HHP Building in 1989. He then moved onto the transformation of Campus Field in 1991 into what is today UNCG Soccer Stadium – one of the premier venues in all of college soccer. In 1999, he oversaw the construction of the UNCG Baseball Stadium and the renovation and lighting of the UNCG Tennis Courts. Most recently, he added to the list the transformation of UNCG’s softball facility to become a top stadium venue.
Under Bobb’s guidance, Spartan student-athletes have consistently graduated at a rate equal to or higher than the general student population at UNCG. Each of the last three academic years, more than 40 percent of UNCG’s student-athletes earned a 3.0 GPA or better. Last spring, 52 percent of student-athletes earned at least a 3.0 GPA in the semester, equalling the record set the previous spring. As of June 2007, nearly half (46 percent) of UNCG’s 225 student-athletes held cumulative GPAs of 3.0 or better.
During his tenure, UNCG teams have won 36 conference tournament titles, 27 as an NCAA Division I member. They have also won 66 conference regular season titles, 40 of those since moving to NCAA Division I. Bobb has served in various conference and NCAA appointments, including serving on one of the first NCAA Certification teams. From 1995-2000, he served on the Certification Team for four such events. Most recently, Bobb served on the Division I Men’s Soccer National Committee and had a two-year term as the chair of the NCAA Men’s and Women’s Soccer Rules Committee.
Bobb is one of the original members of the Greensboro Sports Commission, having served in the body since 1989. He was inducted into the UNCG Athletics Hall of Fame. Before coming to UNCG, Bobb was an assistant athletic director at Cornell University for five years. He also served as an assistant football coach at Cornell for nine seasons. A 1970 graduate of Kent State (OH) with a bachelor’s degree in education, Bobb also holds a master’s degree in secondary education from Kent.
