May 16, 2006
Cleveland Ohio - Twenty-two highly-respected athletics administrators, including Georgetown University Director of Athletics Emeritus Frank Rienzo, were selected for induction into the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) Hall of Fame, it was announced today by NACDA President Tim Curley, director of athletics at Penn State University.
The 2006 Hall of Fame class includes: Merrily Dean Baker, Michigan State University; Marino Casem, Alcorn State University; George Chryst (deceased), University of Wisconsin Platteville; Vin Cullen, Community College of Rhode Island; Bob Dinaberg, Santa Barbara City College; Jack Doyle, University of South Dakota; Paul Durham, Linfield College/University of Hawaii; Art Eason, William Paterson University; Herb Eisele (deceased); John Carroll University; John Gagliardi, St. John's University (Minn.); Fred Gruninger, Rutgers University; James Houdeshell, University of Findlay; Betty Jaynes, James Madison University; Karol Kahrs, University of Illinois; Don Landry, Nicholls State University; Frank Lignelli, Clarion University; Ron Maestri, University of New Orleans; Ray Nagel, University of Hawaii; Frank Rienzo, Georgetown University; Bill Steinbrecher, Valparaiso University; Dick Tamburo, Arizona State University; and Charlotte West, Southern Illinois University.
The inductees will be honored in June at NACDA's 41st Annual Convention, June 20-23. Winners will receive their awards during the U.S. Sports Academy Directors' Cup Luncheon at NACDA's 41st Annual Convention at the New Orleans Marriott and Sheraton New Orleans in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Rienzo, came to the Hilltop in 1969 to revitalize the inactive track and field program and, 30 years later, retired as one of the university's most successful athletics directors. Rienzo spearheaded the planning and construction of the $7.9 million student recreational facility, known as Yates Fieldhouse and initiated the most successful licensing program in the country in 1984. He increased the athletics program to 25 teams, each with full-time coaches. Georgetown's teams produced more than 250 All-Americans. He was president of IC4A and was a member of the NCAA Track and Field, NCAA Cost Reduction and NCAA Federation by Sport committees. Rienzo was on the forefront of the formation of the BIG EAST Conference, serving as chair of the Executive Committee for nine of the conference's first 13 years. Georgetown earned the BIG EAST Commissioner's Trophy five times. Rienzo was the NACDA/NIT Athletics Director of the Year in 1998; received Georgetown's Patrick Healy Award, the university's highest award for a non-alumnus, in 1988 and the Georgetown Vicennial Medal for 20 years of service to the University in 1989. He is a member of Georgetown's Hall of Fame and was also awarded the ECAC Distinguished Service Award. Prior to his tenure at Georgetown, Rienzo was a teacher of English, Latin and religion and was also a highly successful track coach at Archbishop Molloy High School in New York City from 1957-59.
