USD Men's Basketball 2002-2003

DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS

Page 50 TOM IANNACONE Director ofAthletics TomIannacone is in his fifteenth year as DirectorofAthletics at the University ofSan Diego. Hewas namedDirectorofAthletics on September 1, 1988 after holding the same position the previous four years at St. Francis College ofPennsylvania. At USD, Iannacone directs an Athletic Department that includes sixteen NCAADivision I intercollegiate varsity teams, eight men's and eight women's, plus intramurals and recreation. In the last fourteen years behind his direction and leadership, ToreroAthletics has enjoyed successes both on and off the playing field. His accomplishments at USD include improvements in the major areas of personnel, scholarship assistance, facilities, promotions and marketing, fund raising, drug education, academic support, and a university approved plan for scholarship support and sports sponsorship. In addition, he was instrumental in USD gaining membership to the Pioneer Football League, which began play in 1993. He has served on the I-AAAthletic Directors Associa– tion Executive Committee; and is past Chairman of theWest Coast ConferenceAthletics Directors Committee. During Iannacone's tenure, all athletic facilities have seen vast improvements. The Jenny Craig Pavilion, USD's 5,100-seat multi-purpose facility, opened its doors in 2000 and is now home for USD basketball and volleyball, along with benefiting the entire university community. Torero Stadium, where football, and men's and women's soccer compete, is also home to the WUSA San Diego Spirit, has also benefited with expanded seating to 6,000, new lighting and sound system, new video scoreboard, additional press box facilities, and a recently widened playing field with new grass turf. Improvements at the Sports Center include complete renovations of both the north

and south wings that added offices for administrators and coaches; additional women's locker rooms; an athletic department conference room; and an academic support room. The gymnasium received new lighting and scoreboards, a new dance floor and workout area for rowing machines. Recent improvements at the Sports Center include a new main entrance, a complete renovation of the weight room, and perimeter fencing around the pool along with a scoreboard. This past year both Cunningham Baseball Stadium and the Softball Complex were under demolition and reconstruction, and benefited with new fields. Baseball received new batting cages, while softball benefited with a new scoreboard and expanded seating. Additionally, the Canyon Field received lighting and a complete renovation for intercollegiate practices and intramural use with a new artificical turf surface. On the playing fields, USD has sentthirty-three teams to NCAATournaments since Iannacone's arrival in the Fall of 1988. Additionally, the school has captured fifteen conference championships; thirty-threeAll-Americans; twenty-nineAcademicAll-Americans;twenty-nine Conference Coaches of the Year; twenty-three Conference Players of the Year; and four West Coast Conference Scholar-Athletes of the Year. Besides having the 1999 NCAA National Champion in women's tennis (ZuzanaLesenarova), theTorero athletic program r===~~===~~===~~~:=~=:,

came out on top of the WCC schools in terms of overall strength in 1999 (based on an unofficial scoring systemproduced byUSD each season). For the first time,the 1998-99 combined men's and women's athletics programs at USD ranked first in the standings. Since 1988 the university has been the host site for NCAA Tournament events for women's volleyball, men's and women's soccer, and women's tennis. This past two years USD has hosted theWCCBasketball Championships, andwill do so again in 2003. Prior to USD, Iannacone built an impressive list of credentials at St. Francis College as Director ofAthletics between 1984-87. His major contributions included the expansion of sports offerings and scholarships for both men and women, improved budgets, renovation of athletic facilities, the hiring of additional staff, and the estab– lishment of a master plan for the future and continual development of athletics. He served on several committees, most notably the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Confer– ence (ECAC) Infractions committee and the Northeast Conference committee on con– ference development. He served as assistant Director ofAthletics at Fordham University between 1977-84. Along with his administrative duties, he was assistant football coach for the Rams. Between 1975-78, he acted as offensive coordinator and backfield coach as Fordham captured 19 victories in their final 24 games during this span. The '77 squad was and remains the highest scoring team in Fordham history, averaging 34 points per game. In 1983 he was presented the prestigious Jack Coffey Award by the Alumni Association for his outstanding contributions to Fordham athletics. He also served on various Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference committees. Prior to Fordham, Iannacone taught physical education and coached track and field, and football in Connecticut Public School Districts from 1964-76. He made his collegiate football coaching debut as an offensive backfield coach at Western Connecticut State University in 1974. A 1964 graduate of the University of Connecti– cut, Iannacone received his master ofscience degree in physical education from South– ern Connecticut State University in 1973. Tom and hiswife, Cynthia, have three children: TomJr.,Jennifer and Eric. All three are graduates of the University of San Diego.

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