MOBILE, Ala. – Former University of South Alabama director of athletics Joe Gottfried was honored at a retirement ceremony hosted by USA president Gordon Moulton Thursday afternoon at the Mitchell Center.
Gottfried, who stepped down from his position Aug. 1, was recognized for his 28 years of service to the school.
“We thank Joe for his contribution and we hope he continues to be a part of South Alabama, particularly as we build the football program to a full Division I endeavor,” said Moulton. “Thanks for being a friend and thanks for being a part of the University of South Alabama.
Under Gottfried’s direction, Jag Athletics experienced success in competition as well as the classroom. He had a profound impact not only on the school’s architecture with the development and improvement of numerous athletic facilities, but also on the community with the school’s recent addition of the football program. Gottfried was one of the key people involved in the process to make the sport the school’s 17th program, a decision that was approved by the Board of Trustees on Dec. 6, 2007, after initially leading discussions attempting to bring football to campus in 2001. The Jaguars will begin competition in September and will be eligible to compete for the Sun Belt Conference championship and participate in a bowl game in 2013.
During his tenure, the school claimed the Vic Bubas Cup — presented to the program that demonstrates excellence in the league’s now 19 sports — 10 times in a 13-year span. In fact, no school in league history has earned the award more than USA.
Overall under Gottfried’s leadership, Jaguar and Lady Jag teams won 104 league titles. USA teams appeared in 54 NCAA Championship events in that time, while individuals qualified for NCAA postseason action on 123 occasions. That included a pair of track and field athletes who have won NCAA titles — during the 1999-00 campaign David Kimani won the cross country championship in the fall before claiming the 3,000- and 5,000-meter races at the outdoor meet, while Vincent Rono was the 2006 outdoor national champion in the 1,500 meters.
On the national level, 75 USA student-athletes earned All-America recognition while 62 of the school’s coaches were selected the Sun Belt Conference Coach of the Year in their sports.
With the addition of football, the athletic department is supporting an all-time high of more than 300 student-athletes. In the most recent Academic Progress Rate report released by the NCAA last month, 13 of South Alabama’s 16 programs in competition scored above the 925 standard set by the NCAA. Under Gottfried, 83 percent of South Alabama’s student-athletes who have completed their eligibility have graduated. Individually, 37 USA student-athletes were named to the Sun Belt Conference Commissioner’s List for maintaining a 3.5 grade-point average or better with another 32 making the Sun Belt Academic Honor Roll with a GPA of 3.0 or higher in 2007-08.
Gottfried’s impact can be seen across campus, from the $30 million Mitchell Center — home to USA’s men’s and women’s basketball program as well as offices for athletic department personnel — to Stanky Field, which underwent a $3.5 million renovation prior to the 2005 campaign in addition to seeing the construction of a 4,000-square foot clubhouse in 1996, to the intramural fields on the West side of campus, where a field house was opened earlier this month to house the football program. At the beginning of the year, the softball and soccer programs moved into a new locker room and office complex that was constructed near the softball field, which was built prior to the program’s first-ever game in 2007, while the school has made improvements to Jaguar Gymnasium, the Striplin Center, “The Cage” — the school’s soccer facility — the USA Track Complex and the Bruce David Lubel Memorial Tennis Courts.
Gottfried came to South Alabama as an Assistant Athletic Director after successful basketball coaching stints at Ashland and Southern Illinois. He served in the position from 1981-84 before being promoted to Director of Athletics.
Gottfried is a member of the USA Athletic Hall of Fame, the Ashland College Hall of Fame and the Crestline (Ohio) High School Hall of Fame.
A 1963 graduate of Ashland, Gottfried would go on to earn his master’s degree from Morehead State in 1969. He and his wife Mary have two adult children — Christy and Mark, the former head men’s basketball coach at Alabama from 1998-09 — and nine grandchildren. His brother Mike is one of ESPN’s top college football analysts.
For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).
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