Former Ole Miss AD Warner Alford Selected To NACDA Hall of Fame

Photo courtesy of Ole Miss Athletics

Former Ole Miss athletics director Warner Alford has been named to the 2018 Hall of Fame class for the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA).

Other inductees include: Ron Case, Rowan College at Gloucester County; Deborah Chin, University of New Haven; Ed Farrington, Western Connecticut State University; Mike Jacobsen, Utah Valley University; Ed Matejkovic, West Chester University; Steve McCarty, Stephen F. Austin State University and Brian Quinn, Cal State Fullerton.
The honorees will receive their awards on Saturday, June 30 at NACDA’s 53rd Annual Convention at the Learfield Directors’ Cup Luncheon, located at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in Washington, D.C.
Alford dedicated over half of his life to the athletics program at Ole Miss. From his playing and coaching days on the football field to his administrative duties, Alford served his alma mater in many capacities, including 16 years as director of athletics.
During his tenure as athletics director, Ole Miss enjoyed success in all areas, including on the field of competition, in the classroom and in facilities improvement. Vaught-Hemingway Stadium received a major facelift, which included a new press box, 29 sky boxes and the addition of a lighting system, bringing night football to the Oxford campus. Other major facility additions included construction of a new baseball stadium and tennis center. Renovations also took place at the golf course, while the track facility expanded seating capacity and was resurfaced, plus a Training Center was added to the “Doc” Knight Field House.
A member of the Mississippi Sports, Ole Miss Sports and University of Mississippi Alumni Halls of Fame, Alford’s efforts didn’t stop with physical improvements. When he took over as athletics director, Ole Miss sponsored only five men’s sports and three sports for women. When he left Ole Miss in 1994, the university sponsored eight sports for men and seven sports for women. Alford also served on the committee to formulate plans to bring women’s athletics into the Southeastern Conference.
A strong leader in the field of athletics, Alford served as NACDA 1st Vice President, as a member of the NCAA Council, as president-elect of the Division I-A Athletics Directors Association, as chair of the CFA Athletic Directors Committee and was a member of the CFA Board of Directors. He was also a member of the NCAA Professional Sports Liaison Committee, on the NCAA Honors Committee and a member of the NCAA Certification Committee. Alford served on the Southeastern Conference Executive Committee, was on the SEC Basketball Tournament Site Selection Committee and the CFA Television Committee.

Courtesy of Ole Miss Sports
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