Cal State Fullerton’s Donovan named as 1 of top ADs

Former University of Hawaii athletic director Jim Donovan has been named an Under Armour athletic director of the year at Cal State Fullerton, one of four from Division I non-football-playing schools across the country.

The award by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics, recognizes “the efforts of athletics directors at all levels for their commitment and positive contributions to student-athletes, campuses and their surrounding communities,” NACDA said.

Athletic directors from Gonzaga, Creighton and Florida Gulf Coast were honored in the same category.

Donovan, a former UH football player, served as AD in Manoa from 2008 to 2012. He was reassigned in the wake of the Stevie Wonder episode and was hired four months later by CSUF.

His contract to direct the 15-sport, $19.5 million athletic program has twice been extended and is to run through at least 2023.

“To truly grasp the impact of Jim’s leadership, first consider the historical context within which he arrived in 2012,” CSUF president Fram Virjee said in an emailed statement. “Student-athlete graduation rates were far below the university-wide average, fundraising progress was anemic, student attendance was down, and we were many years removed from a multi-championship year in the Big West.”

Virjee said, “Today, fundraising has increased by more than 600 percent, student attendance is up over 1,200 percent, our all-team Academic Progress Rate is at all-time highs; and, after capturing a record six Big West Conference Championships in 2017-18, the Commissioner’s Cup is in our trophy case for the first time in history.”

“As impressive as all of the wins and statistics are, they do not speak to Jim’s greatest qualities: his warm and welcoming personality, his take-the-blame-if-it’s-bad-news and pass-the-credit-if-it’s-good-news humility, and his customer-first approach to everything he does – with the customer being our student-athletes, faculty, staff, alumni, and fans. This is a guy who, on one of his first days on our campus, stood at the entrance of Goodwin Field in a suit and tie, personally greeting every fan arriving for our baseball home opener. That had never been done by any athletic director in our 61-year history, and it is personal touches like this that make Jim one of our most invaluable leaders on our campus and one of the most impactful Titans in our community.”