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The last ten years have been arguably the most successful in the history of University of Dayton Athletics: more championships than in any previous decade, continued high graduation rates and academic honors, and an unprecedented period of facility improvement and expansion. University of Dayton Vice President / Director of Athletics Ted Kissell and his outstanding team have much to be proud of. Kissell is in his 17th and final year at UD. He announced in August that he will retire as the Flyers' Director of Athletics effective January 1, 2009. Only the sixth AD in school history, Kissell is charged with the oversight of 17 intercollegiate athletics programs, the University of Dayton Arena and the surrounding Arena Sports Complex. Under Kissell's leadership, University of Dayton Athletics has been transformed into a widely-successful broad-based program. Since 1998, UD has had 32 conference championships and had 21 teams reach the post-season. In the nine years prior, the Flyers had only seven conference championships and one tournament appearance. The 2007-08 school year was the most successful "team" year in UD history. Dayton's final winning percentage for football, volleyball, men's and women's soccer, men's and women's basketball, baseball and softball was .629. The next-best year the Flyers have ever had was the 2002-03 school year, when UD had a .574 winning percentage. The progress of the men's basketball program in the last decade years toward greater national prominence has been marked by three NCAA bids, three NIT bids and an average of more than 20 wins a season. This success has provided resources that allowed the annual operating budget to grow to more than $17 million to support Kissell's strategy of building broad-based competitive results throughout Flyer sports programs. Women's soccer has earned five NCAA tournament appearances (including a berth in the "Sweet Sixteen" in 2001) and has won eight of the last 11 Atlantic 10 regular season championships. Women's volleyball has earned four NCAA tournament appearances and has won nine A-10 titles (regular season and/or tournament). Men's soccer has won four A-10 titles. The baseball team's record for wins in a season was 25 after the 2000 campaign -- since then UD has won at least 30 games five times. UD football gained nationwide attention with 29 consecutive winning seasons and taking home the 2002 and 2007 NCAA Division I-AA Mid-Major National Championships. Strong performance on the field has not come at the expense of a high level of performance in the classroom. The Flyers' combined cumulative grade point average has steadily risen during Kissell's tenure, and it is currently the highest in school history (3.209). UD's 95 rating in the NCAA's latest Graduation Success Rate report is the best in the Atlantic 10 Conference and is in the top 5% among the nation's 330 Division I institutions. UD's athletic facilities are second to none. During his 17 years, upgrading and developing better playing facilities were key components to Kissell's overall strategy to provide strong, positive experiences and support for student-athletes. The 25-acre Arena Sports Complex is not only home to baseball, softball and track & field, but also provides a grass practice field for Flyer football. The complex serves as an attractive southern gateway to the city of Dayton. Upgrades to Baujan Field and the UD Arena during this past decade provide opportunities for exciting sporting events. The Athletics Practice Facility (formerly the Physical Activities Center) was renovated in 2008 to provide much-needed indoor practice space for more than 400 Flyer student-athletes. The Collins Gymnasium now serves as the indoor practice home for all of UD's outdoor sports, and the conversion of the Lackner Natatorium to a dedicated basketball-only practice facility was completed in time for the 2007-08 teams to make use of it. The new and upgraded facilities have been accomplished through effective fundraising. Under Kissell's leadership, the Athletics Division has raised more than $30 million for capital projects since 2000. The Arena upgrades have kept it one of the best places to watch an NCAA tournament game. The 76 NCAA games held at UD Arena rank it third among sites for the men's tournament. Since Kissell came to UD, the Arena has hosted 32 NCAA men's games, three women's regionals and the two most successful Atlantic 10 basketball tournaments in league history. Kissell is in his second term on the Atlantic 10's Management Committee and also serves on the A-10 Men's Basketball Committee, and chairs the Men's Basketball Scheduling Committee. Kissell has also served as chair of the A-10's Marketing Committee (2002-03), Finance Committee (2004-05) and Corporate Sponsorship Committee (2004-05). A native of Chicago, Kissell holds two history degrees -- a B.A. from Elmhurst College in 1969 and an M.A. from Northern Illinois University in 1972. Ted's family includes his wife Deanna, four children: Ted Jr., Jennifer, Sarah and Katie, and three grandsons: Teo, Gabriel, and Jack. |
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