The North Coast Athletic Conference Presidents’ Council will receive the inaugural Award for Diversity and Inclusion from the NCAA and the Minority Opportunities Athletic Association.
“The North Coast Athletic Conference’s Presidents’ Council has done a phenomenal job introducing strategic and thoughtful practices and programs that not only encourage diversity and inclusion, but also ensure that a variety of voices and perspectives will be heard within its member schools and conference,” said Bernard Franklin, NCAA executive vice president and chief inclusion officer.
The award will be presented at the NCAA Convention Association Luncheon on Jan. 17 in Grapevine, Texas.
In 2008, the NCAC launched the Branch Rickey Initiative, promoting the hiring and retention of coaches who actively support racial diversity in staffing. Rickey, a Major League Baseball executive, was an innovator known for breaking the sport’s color barrier by signing African-American player Jackie Robinson and later drafting Hispanic player Roberto Clemente. The conference’s mentoring program, which matches veteran administrators and coaches with female and minority students, also is named for Rickey.
NCAC members also established extensive recruitment practices to expand the pool of potential job candidates for open positions from underrepresented populations. The conference also created internship opportunities for diverse populations.
The NCAC underscored its commitment to inclusivity through a symposium with athletics administrators addressing hiring practices and a subcommittee focused on developing programs to attract diverse populations to intercollegiate athletics.
The NCAC is a Division III conference. Its members are Allegheny College, Denison University, DePauw University, Hiram College, Kenyon College, Oberlin College, Ohio Wesleyan University, Wabash College, Wittenberg University and The College of Wooster.
