University of Central Missouri Athletics Director Jerry Hughes has been recognized by the National Association of Collegiate Director of Athletics as the Division-II Athletic Director of the Year for the Central Region. It’s the third time Hughes as won this award, making the Versailles native the only three-time winner at any NCAA level. Hughes has guided the athletics department at Central Missouri since 1983.
Hughes won the NACDA honor for the first time in its inaugural year (1998-99) and became the first repeat winner when he was tabbed for it again in 2001-02.
In 2005, Hughes was inducted in to the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame, and he has seen his student-athletes win 129 Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association championships, five national championships.
UCM finished third in the NACDA Learfield Sports Directors Cup in both 2008-09 and 2009-10. 10 UCM teams finished in the top-10 of NCAA-II in 2010-11, with UCM’s more than 500 student-athletes, enjoying an overall GPA of 3.02 as of the fall season.
Hughes and 27 other regional winners from all NCAA divisions will receive their awards at the James J. Corbett Awards Luncheon on Saturday June 18 at NACDA’s 46th Annual Convention at the World Center Marriott Resort in Orlando, Fla.