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June 23, 2010
Roller Named Southeast Region AD Of The Year By NACDA
Samford's director of athletics Bob Roller has been named the 2009-10 Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) Southeast Region Under Armour Athletic Director of the Year by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA).
Roller will be presented with the award at the James J. Corbett Awards Luncheon on June 24, at the NACDA Convention in Anaheim, Calif.
"The recent success of Samford's athletics program, both academically and in competition, can be attributed in large part to the outstanding leadership of Bob Roller," Samford President Andrew Westmoreland said. "He understands the important balance between academics and athletics at a university like Samford. This national recognition affirms what we all have known for several years - that Samford has one of the most outstanding athletics directors in the U.S."
In Roller's tenure at Samford, the school has seen major upgrades in athletic facilities, as well as success both on the field and in the classroom.
The largest project among the many facilities upgrades has been the Pete Hanna Center, which opened in October of 2007. The Hanna Center is the largest building on Samford's campus and holds 6,000 spectators for graduation or concerts, and 5,000 for sporting events. The home of Bulldog basketball and volleyball, the Hanna Center features a state-of-the-art fitness center for all Samford students, plus offices for the athletics department, aca¬demic center, weight room and training rooms.
The most recent upgrade came with the opening the Cooney Family Field House prior to the start of practice for the 2009 football season. The new field house includes offices for the football coaches, a weight room, locker room, training room, player's lounge and meeting rooms.
Another addition to the Samford's athletics facilities was the Pat M. Courington Tennis Pavilion, which opened in the spring of 2007. The Courington Tennis Pavilion houses the Samford tennis offices and locker rooms, plus three indoor and six outdoor NCAA courts.
In addition to these already-completed projects, a new track/soccer complex will be under construction soon. Also, plans for a new baseball/softball indoor hitting facility and a new softball park are being made.
Early in Roller's tenure, Samford constructed Joe Lee Griffin Field for baseball in 1999. The 2004 season saw upgrades to the softball complex and a complete renovation of the soccer field with permanent seating for record crowds. Seibert Stadium's natural grass was replaced with a state-of-the-art LSR Blade Synthetic Surface in 2005 for football.
Academically, the school recently had five teams receive Public Recognition Awards from the NCAA. Public Recognition Awards go to teams that have APR scores in the top 10 percent of all squads in their respective sports nationally. For the 2008-09 school year, Samford had 11 teams post perfect APR scores of 1,000 and Samford's teams averaged an outstanding 991.5.
Roller has also led Samford through two Division I conference changes. In 2003, Samford moved from the Atlantic Sun Conference to the Ohio Valley Conference. In its time in the OVC, Samford won 13 team championships, and Samford's women's teams claimed the Women's All-Sports Trophy three times (2003-04, 2006-07 and 2007-08). Samford won championships in women's soccer (four), women's tennis (four), women's cross-¬country (two), baseball, men's golf and men's tennis.
In the summer of 2008, Samford moved to the Southern Conference. In just two years in the league, Samford has won two volleyball divisional titles, and the 2009 women's cross country championship. Samford also won the 2009-10 Germann Cup, which goes to the best all-around women's athletics program in the SoCon.
Roller, who has been Samford's AD since May 1999, came to Samford in 1997 to direct the Samford Athletic Foundation. During his first two years, the foundation saw record growth in individual and corporate donations to the university's athletics programs. Roller held that position until being named to his current position.
In the summer of 2003, Roller was ¬elected to the prestigious executive committee of NACDA to serve a four-year term. He joined ¬athletics directors from Kansas State, Stanford, Army and Clemson on the governing committee that oversees the activities of the 6,000-plus member organization.
In 2006, Roller was named national chairman of the United States Sports Academy Directors' Cup Committee for NACDA. The Directors' Cup is awarded to the top uni¬versities in NCAA Division I, II, III and NAIA for overall athletics success throughout the inter¬collegiate season.
Bob Roller's Accomplishments While At Samford
• Major facilities upgrades (Pete Hanna Center, Cooney Family Field House, Pat M. Courington Tennis Pavilion)
• Won the SoCon's Germann Cup (Women's All-Sports) in 2009-10.
• Placed seventh in the NCAA's inaugural APR report, released in 2005.
• Teams scored consistently high in the NCAA's APR reports, posting five teams with perfect scores of 1,000 in each of the last two years (single-year scores).
• In five years in the Ohio Valley Conference won 13 team championships.
• Won the OVC's Women's All-Sports Trophy in 2003-04, 2006-07 and 2007-08.
• Elected to NACDA's executive committee in 2003.
• Named national chairman of the United States Sports Academy Directors' Cup Committee for NACDA.
