CLEVELAND, Ohio --- Moravian University Director of Athletics & Recreation and Head Women's Basketball Coach Mary Beth Spirk has been selected as one of the 28 winners of the 2024-25 National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics AD of the Year Award.
The award spans seven divisions (NCAA FBS, FCS, Division I-AAA, II, III, NAIA/Other Four-Year Institutions and Junior College/Community Colleges). Winners will be recognized in conjunction with the 60th 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 10, starting 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.
"NACDA is proud to usher in a new class of Athletics Director of the Year Award winners for 2024-25 and recognize these servant leaders guiding their departments into a new age of intercollegiate athletics," said Pat Manak, NACDA chief executive officer. "Each of the seven Divisions has at least one first-time honoree, including four brand new winners in the junior college ranks. These 28 individuals represent their institutions, conferences and the industry as a whole with a level of dedication and passion that shines through in their collective accomplishments."
The ADOY Award program is in its 27th year and has recognized a total of 605 deserving athletics directors to date. In addition to Spirk, this year's other NCAA Division III winners are Josh Center at Carnegie Mellon University, Bob King of Trinity (Texas) University and Michael Whalen from Wesleyan (Conn.) University.
"For over four decades, Mary Beth Spirk has been the heart and soul of Moravian University athletics – an extraordinary leader, mentor, and coach whose impact is immeasurable," stated Dr. Nicole L. Loyd, Moravian University Executive Vice-President, Chief Operating Officer and Dean of Students as well as Spirk's direct supervisor. "As one of the winningest D3 basketball coaches in history, she has set a standard of excellence, but it is her kindness, integrity, and unwavering dedication to student-athletes that truly define her legacy. This well-deserved recognition is a testament to her lifelong commitment to the transformative power of sports."
Spirk arrived at Moravian University, then College, in October 1981 shortly after her graduation from Dickinson College as an assistant women's basketball coach, and she is now in her fifth decade as at the school that has seen her win nearly 650 games as Head Women's Basketball Coach in 37 seasons as well as serve as Director of Athletics & Recreation since June of 2017. Spirk's tenure at Moravian has also seen her serve as an assistant softball coach, head softball coach, associate professor of physical education, assistant athletics director beginning in 2001 and moving to associate athletics director and Senior Woman Administrator in 2011.
Since becoming Director of Athletics & Recreation, Spirk has guided major growth in the department. Since 2017, Moravian has added three varsity sports (men's & women's swimming in 2021-22 and women's golf in 2023-24), finished making all head coaching positions full-time staff members, worked on a proposal that will ensure all sport program have at least one full-time assistant coach by 2026, began Moravian's successful annual Athletics Giving Challenge in 2019 that has raised $848,084 in six years including a record $181,988 in November 2024, revamped the athletic department's mission statement, core values and brand standards in 2024, move the department to strictly online ticket sales through HomeTown Ticketing in 2023 and signed a contract to transition the entire department to Teamworks in 2025.
Spirk has also overseen many facility upgrades in her tenure as AD including new turf at Rocco Calvo Field in 2018 along with a digital scoreboard and a new track surface in 2024, a state of the art golf simulator room for the golf program in 2023, new bleachers and a digital scorer's table in Johnston Hall in 2021, a new Mondo surface in Timothy Breidegam Fieldhouse in 2020, a new scoreboard on John Makuvek Field in 2023, a new indoor hitting area for baseball in 2025, upgrades to the athletic training room, equipment room, student-athlete performance center, the lobby of Johnston Hall and the conference room in Johnston Hall in the last two years. Moravian is about to undertake a new turf surface on John Makuvek Field.
"I am honored to accept this award on behalf of the hard-working men and women in the Moravian University Athletic Department who have dedicated their professional lives to the work we do – using intercollegiate athletics to develop character, teamwork, and leadership skills in the thousands of student-athletes who we serve," commented Spirk.
Her leadership roles also extend to the Landmark Conference where she served as Vice-Chair of the Athletic Directors group from 2020 to 2022, and Chair from 2022 to 2024. During her tenure as chair, Spirk helped the Landmark Conference work a deal to play basketball games at the historic Palestra in Philadelphia, assist with a media rights deal with FloSports, develop the conference football media day as the Landmark added the sport in 2023 and assist with expanding the conference's membership to ten schools.
"Mary Beth Spirk is everything you could want in a leader—visionary, dedicated, and always putting student-athletes first," stated Landmark Conference Commissioner Katie Boldvich. "She's been a driving force behind so many positive changes at Moravian, in the Landmark Conference, and across Division III. Whether it's growing the conference, elevating championships, or making sure every student-athlete has the best experience possible, she does it all with passion and purpose. This NACDA Athletic Director of the Year honor is so well deserved, and we couldn't be more excited to celebrate her incredible impact."
On the hardwood, Spirk has posted a 648-345 overall record since becoming the Head Coach in 1987, although she stepped aside from her coaching duties for the 2024-25 campaign due to health concerns. Spirk has guided the Greyhounds to 33 postseason appearances, seven Middle Atlantic Conference Southeast League titles, three Middle Atlantic Conference South Championships, two Middle Atlantic Conference crowns, the 2010 Landmark Conference title, nine NCAA bids, 14 ECAC appearances, two ECAC Championships, and a berth in the 1992 national championship game played in Johnston Hall and hosted by Moravian. Spirk has coached 27 1,000-point scorers, 20 All-Americans, 25 All-Region honorees, 62 All-Conference performers, 128 Conference All-Academic selections, 13 Conference Athletes of the Year (player/defensive/rookie) and a National Player of the Year.
She is a ten-time Conference Coach of the Year most recently in 2016-17 including her first ECAC Division III Metro Coach of the Year honor and the Women's Basketball Coaches Association National Coach of the Year award, as well as MAC and Mid-Atlantic Region Honors in 1992.
Spirk and Moravian have been very active with the Kay Yow Cancer Fund including leading NCAA Division III in fundraising through Play4Kay the last 16 years, raising a total of $233,118 heading into the event in February 2025. With Spirk's current personal battle with cancer, the Kay Yow Cancer Fund donated $50,000 to St. Luke's University Health Network in Spirk's name for cancer research.
Spirk is an ambassador for women's athletics speaking at local schools as well as attending national conferences on gender equity and Title IX. She has volunteered at the NCAA sponsored "YES Clinic'' during the women's Final Four five times. The "YES Clinic" provides basketball instruction to underprivileged youth in the city of the Final Four. Spirk served her eighth and final year on the Women's Basketball Coaches Association Board of Directors, one of only three Division III coaches on the Board, in 2018-19. She is also a member of the WBCA Coach Mentor program.
On the softball diamond, Spirk took over the program in 1988 and guided Moravian to a 104-57 mark in six seasons including a then school record 23 victories in 1991. She coached 14 Middle Atlantic Conference Southeast League First Team All-Star selections.
In addition to her bachelor's degree from Dickinson, Spirk completed her Master's in Sports Administration at the United States Sports Academy in Alabama in 2002.
About NACDA: Now in its 60th year, NACDA is the professional and educational Association for more than 24,000 college athletics administrators at more than 2,300 institutions throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico. NACDA manages 19 professional associations and four foundations. In addition to virtual programming, NACDA hosts and/or has a presence at seven major professional development events in-person annually. The NACDA & Affiliates Convention is the largest gathering of collegiate athletics administrators in the country. For more information, visit www.nacda.com.
Parts of release courtesy of NACDA
