University of Scranton Director of Athletics Dave Martin has been named a 2017-18 recipient of the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) Under Armour Athletic Director of the Year Award.
The Under Armour AD of the Year Awards program was created to honor intercollegiate directors of athletics for their commitment and administrative excellence within a campus and/or college community environment over the course of the last year.
“Dave is an outstanding choice for this honor,” said Rev. Herbert B. Keller, S.J., interim president of the University. “His commitment to our mission as a Catholic and Jesuit university is reflected in the transformation of the Athletics Department that he has spearheaded during his tenure. Dave’s tireless work to help our student-athletes be successful in sports and in life has improved both the quality of our athletics teams and the University as a whole.”
Martin, who holds an undergraduate degree from Wilkes University and a master of education degree from Misericordia, and his wife, Jennifer, reside in Dunmore with their three daughters: Samantha, Maddie and Paige.
Martin is one of 28 directors from across the country to receive the award for 2017-18, including four at the NCAA Division III level. He is the first recipient of the award from The University of Scranton and the second from the Landmark Conference, joining former Drew University Director of Athletics Jason Fein, who was honored in 2015-16.
“I am extremely honored and humbled to receive this award,” Martin said. “This award is a reflection of the hard work of our student-athletes, coaches, staff and the University community as a whole to improve the student-athlete experience. Our successes both inside and outside the competitive arena wouldn’t be possible without a dedicated team effort. I truly appreciate NACDA’s recognition of the excellent work that has taken place here at the University over the past year.”
Martin became the eighth director of athletics in University of Scranton history in August 2015 after an 11-year tenure as director of athletics at Misericordia University.
Since arriving at Scranton, Martin has overseen many major initiatives within the Athletics Department. He helped to lead the fundraising efforts for and the construction of the Kevin P. Quinn, S.J., Athletics Campus, a $14 million campus that includes synthetic turf baseball and softball stadiums, a multipurpose stadium, and fieldhouse. The campus is set to open this spring.
Since 2015, Martin managed the process of starting women’s golf, as well as men’s and women’s indoor and outdoor track and field. He is the inaugural chair of the Landmark Conference Golf Committee, which is a new sport in the conference. In addition, he is responsible for coordinating the Landmark Championships for both men’s golf and baseball in 2018.
Most importantly during Martin’s tenure at Scranton, he led the development The Royal Way, a mission-based project that aims to ensure that Scranton student-athletes have a championship experience both on and off the playing field. The Royal Way directly supports Scranton’s mission as a Catholic and Jesuit school and it focuses on improving the student-athlete experience through evidence-based programing efforts.
Since Martin’s arrival in 2015, Scranton has had unprecedented success in competition, winning nine conference championships, and earning 10 trips to the NCAA tournament.
