Ohio State athletics are on a tear, hanging Big Ten and national championship banners in everything from football, wrestling, women's rowing and even synchronized swimming in recent years.
The man at the top of the department earned the highest recognition possible in college athletics administration Monday.
The National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) dubbed Gene Smith their 50th recipient of the James J. Corbett Memorial Award, given to the college administrator who "through the years has most typified Corbett's devotion to intercollegiate athletics and worked unceasingly for its betterment."
.@NACDA
— gene smith (@OSU_AD) February 22, 2016
Thank you all so much. There is no greater honor than recognition by one's peers. For that I am forever grateful! #GoBucks
The award has been presented annually since 1967 in honor of Corbett, the former LSU athletic director and first president of the NACDA.
"It is with great pride that we present Gene Smith with this year's James J. Corbett Award," NACDA Executive Director Bob Vecchione said in a press release. "From his days as a student-athlete, Gene has honed his skills and become a bona fide leader in intercollegiate athletics."
Smith served as NACDA President from 1994-95. He is set to be honored at the Corbett Awards Luncheon June 15 in conjunction with the 2016 NACDA Convention in Dallas.
"I am both honored and humbled to receive an award named for James Corbett from an organization as highly regarded as NACDA," Smith said in the release. "After my first year in athletics administration, Mike Cleary reached out to engage me in NACDA. I would not be where I am today if not for Mike, NACDA, and the many colleagues from whom I have been blessed to learn over the past 33 years."
In addition, Smith is slated to receive an honorary degree from the Sports Management Institute, which is sponsored by not only the NACDA but also the universities of Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Southern California and Texas.
Smith has served as Ohio State's athletic director since 2004 and was elevated to its vice president in January 2014. Before coming to Columbus, Smith served as Director of Athletics at Arizona State, Iowa State and Eastern Michigan. He is a native of Cleveland, Ohio and played defensive end for four years at the University of Notre Dame on a football scholarship.
Smith has also served in other key administrative roles, including the NCAA Men's Basketball Committee (serving as chair in 2010-11), the NCAA Management Council, the NCAA Committee on Infractions, the NCAA Executive Committee, the NCAA Football Rules Committee and many more.
Smith becomes the third individual with Ohio State ties presented with the award, joining past athletic directors Jim Jones in 2013 and Dick Larkins in 1970.
