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Kevin M. White Named 2025 James J. Corbett Memorial Award Recipient by NACDA
3/13/2025 11:00:00 AM | Athletics
CLEVELAND – The National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) announced that NACDA Past President and Hall of Famer Kevin M. White has been selected as the recipient of the 59th James J. Corbett Memorial Award, the highest honor one can achieve in collegiate athletics administration. White spent nearly 50 years as a vice president, director of athletics, and coach during his career, leading the athletics departments at Duke University, the University of Notre Dame, Arizona State University, Tulane University, the University of Maine and Loras College (Iowa). He will be honored in conjunction with the 60th Annual NACDA & Affiliates Convention at the World Center Marriott Resort in Orlando, Fla., at the beginning of the Association-Wide Featured Session on Monday, June 9, starting at 4 p.m.
"Kevin White is synonymous with success in intercollegiate athletics administration," said NACDA Chief Executive Officer Pat Manak. "Throughout his journey, not only did he do the job well, but he did it with class, integrity, and surrounded himself with intelligent and inspired teammates whom he mentored over the years to do the same. Those men and women who followed in Kevin's footsteps to the AD chair are now making their own mark on the industry across the country. NACDA would not be the educational and professional development resource that it is today without Kevin's leadership, and we are proud to honor his timeless and selfless work with the Corbett Award this year."
Throughout White's illustrious 38-year career as an AD, 38 current and former athletics directors served on his various leadership teams.
The Corbett Award is presented annually to the collegiate administrator who "through the years has most typified Corbett's devotion to intercollegiate athletics and worked unceasingly for its betterment." Corbett, athletics director at Louisiana State University (LSU), was NACDA's first president in 1965. Additionally, White will receive an honorary degree from the Sports Management Institute (SMI), an educational institute sponsored by NACDA and the universities of Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Southern California and Texas.
"To be sure, I stand terribly humbled and honored, for NACDA has unequivocally been my 'North Star,' coupled with the unqualified contingent of student-athletes, coaches, staff, university administrators, alumni, family, and benefactors who have propped me up for almost a half a century," said White. "Simply put, heartfelt thanks to NACDA for being NACDA!"
White retired as vice president and director of athletics at Duke University in August 2021 after serving in that role since May 31, 2008. He initially arrived at Duke after leading Notre Dame's athletics program for eight years. White now serves as Vice President and Director of Athletics Emeritus, as well as a professor of the practice at Duke's Fuqua School of Business, where he teaches a popular course on sports business. He also works with NACDA sponsor Huron to assist institutional leaders in navigating the transformation of athletics and in developing best practices for college and university programs.
White, one of the most experienced, distinguished and honored athletics directors in college sports, oversaw a Duke program that included 27 varsity sports, more than 700 student-athletes, more than 300 coaches and staff, and a physical education and recreation program that touched nearly every Duke student. Under his leadership, Duke captured eight NCAA championships – women's tennis in 2009, men's basketball in 2010 and 2015, men's lacrosse in 2010, 2013 and 2014, and women's golf in 2014 and 2019 – and 23 ACC titles. In all, 190 Duke squads advanced to NCAA postseason competition during White's Duke tenure. Individually, 406 student-athletes earned All-America, 764 All-ACC and 331 All-Region or District honors under White.
Several significant facility projects were completed at Duke and led by White, including major renovations to Brooks Field at Wallace Wade Stadium, Blue Devil Tower and the Davis Family Kicking Field at the Brooks Practice Facility, a grand entrance and entertainment space to the front of iconic Cameron Indoor Stadium (Rubenstein Pavilion), the Scott Family Athletics Performance Center that now houses several of Duke athletics' administrative units, as well as new strength and conditioning and sports medicine areas, a ticket office and team merchandise store.
Always in demand as a visionary leader, White previously served as a member of the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) Board of Directors. In October 2017, he was selected to chair the newly formed USOPC Collegiate Advisory Council (CAC) to guide and strengthen Olympic sport programming at the collegiate level. The 10-member CAC is charged with bridging the gap between high-contributing collegiate stakeholders and the Olympic and Paralympic Movement.
In 2019-20, White served as the chair of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Committee. For several years, he was a member of the Advocates for Athletic Equity Board of Directors (formerly BCA) and a representative with the Football Bowl Championship Series. In addition, he previously was an ex-officio member of the Sugar Bowl Committee during his tenure at Tulane, was a member of the Rose Bowl Management Committee while at Arizona State, and worked closely with the Fiesta Bowl during his stay in Tempe.
In 2022, White was inducted into the NACDA Hall of Fame, and received the Homer Rice Award from the FBS AD Association (formerly LEAD1). He earned NACDA Athletics Director of the Year (ADOY) honors in 2012-13 and 2005-06. In 2014, he received Sports Business Journal Athletics Director of the Year honors as well as the National Football Foundation's John L. Toner Award. White served on the NACDA Executive Committee beginning in 2003, before moving up the Officer ranks and becoming NACDA President for the 2007-08 academic year.
White earned his Ph.D. from Southern Illinois University in 1983 with an emphasis on higher education administration. In 1985, he completed postdoctoral work at Harvard University's Institute for Educational Management. He earned his master's degree in athletics administration from Central Michigan University in 1976 and his bachelor's degree in business administration in 1972 from St. Joseph's College in Rensselaer, Ind., where he also competed as a sprinter.
Earlier this year, White released a book, The Good Sport, where he takes an unflinching look at the current state of intercollegiate sports, including the tumultuous changes brought on by the Supreme Court's landmark decision on name, image, and likeness (NIL) rights. Drawing on his decades of leadership, White examines the chaos, challenges, and opportunities of this new era – and why he believes the future of college sports hangs in the balance.
White and his wife, Jane, a former college track and field coach, have five children and 16 grandchildren.
About NACDA: Now in its 60th year, NACDA is the professional and educational Association for more than 24,000 college athletics administrators at more than 2,300 institutions throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico. NACDA manages 19 professional associations and four foundations. In addition to virtual programming, NACDA hosts and/or has a presence at seven major professional development events in-person annually. The NACDA & Affiliates Convention is the largest gathering of collegiate athletics administrators in the country. For more information, visit www.nacda.com.
"Kevin White is synonymous with success in intercollegiate athletics administration," said NACDA Chief Executive Officer Pat Manak. "Throughout his journey, not only did he do the job well, but he did it with class, integrity, and surrounded himself with intelligent and inspired teammates whom he mentored over the years to do the same. Those men and women who followed in Kevin's footsteps to the AD chair are now making their own mark on the industry across the country. NACDA would not be the educational and professional development resource that it is today without Kevin's leadership, and we are proud to honor his timeless and selfless work with the Corbett Award this year."
Throughout White's illustrious 38-year career as an AD, 38 current and former athletics directors served on his various leadership teams.
The Corbett Award is presented annually to the collegiate administrator who "through the years has most typified Corbett's devotion to intercollegiate athletics and worked unceasingly for its betterment." Corbett, athletics director at Louisiana State University (LSU), was NACDA's first president in 1965. Additionally, White will receive an honorary degree from the Sports Management Institute (SMI), an educational institute sponsored by NACDA and the universities of Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Southern California and Texas.
"To be sure, I stand terribly humbled and honored, for NACDA has unequivocally been my 'North Star,' coupled with the unqualified contingent of student-athletes, coaches, staff, university administrators, alumni, family, and benefactors who have propped me up for almost a half a century," said White. "Simply put, heartfelt thanks to NACDA for being NACDA!"
White retired as vice president and director of athletics at Duke University in August 2021 after serving in that role since May 31, 2008. He initially arrived at Duke after leading Notre Dame's athletics program for eight years. White now serves as Vice President and Director of Athletics Emeritus, as well as a professor of the practice at Duke's Fuqua School of Business, where he teaches a popular course on sports business. He also works with NACDA sponsor Huron to assist institutional leaders in navigating the transformation of athletics and in developing best practices for college and university programs.
White, one of the most experienced, distinguished and honored athletics directors in college sports, oversaw a Duke program that included 27 varsity sports, more than 700 student-athletes, more than 300 coaches and staff, and a physical education and recreation program that touched nearly every Duke student. Under his leadership, Duke captured eight NCAA championships – women's tennis in 2009, men's basketball in 2010 and 2015, men's lacrosse in 2010, 2013 and 2014, and women's golf in 2014 and 2019 – and 23 ACC titles. In all, 190 Duke squads advanced to NCAA postseason competition during White's Duke tenure. Individually, 406 student-athletes earned All-America, 764 All-ACC and 331 All-Region or District honors under White.
Several significant facility projects were completed at Duke and led by White, including major renovations to Brooks Field at Wallace Wade Stadium, Blue Devil Tower and the Davis Family Kicking Field at the Brooks Practice Facility, a grand entrance and entertainment space to the front of iconic Cameron Indoor Stadium (Rubenstein Pavilion), the Scott Family Athletics Performance Center that now houses several of Duke athletics' administrative units, as well as new strength and conditioning and sports medicine areas, a ticket office and team merchandise store.
Always in demand as a visionary leader, White previously served as a member of the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) Board of Directors. In October 2017, he was selected to chair the newly formed USOPC Collegiate Advisory Council (CAC) to guide and strengthen Olympic sport programming at the collegiate level. The 10-member CAC is charged with bridging the gap between high-contributing collegiate stakeholders and the Olympic and Paralympic Movement.
In 2019-20, White served as the chair of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Committee. For several years, he was a member of the Advocates for Athletic Equity Board of Directors (formerly BCA) and a representative with the Football Bowl Championship Series. In addition, he previously was an ex-officio member of the Sugar Bowl Committee during his tenure at Tulane, was a member of the Rose Bowl Management Committee while at Arizona State, and worked closely with the Fiesta Bowl during his stay in Tempe.
In 2022, White was inducted into the NACDA Hall of Fame, and received the Homer Rice Award from the FBS AD Association (formerly LEAD1). He earned NACDA Athletics Director of the Year (ADOY) honors in 2012-13 and 2005-06. In 2014, he received Sports Business Journal Athletics Director of the Year honors as well as the National Football Foundation's John L. Toner Award. White served on the NACDA Executive Committee beginning in 2003, before moving up the Officer ranks and becoming NACDA President for the 2007-08 academic year.
White earned his Ph.D. from Southern Illinois University in 1983 with an emphasis on higher education administration. In 1985, he completed postdoctoral work at Harvard University's Institute for Educational Management. He earned his master's degree in athletics administration from Central Michigan University in 1976 and his bachelor's degree in business administration in 1972 from St. Joseph's College in Rensselaer, Ind., where he also competed as a sprinter.
Earlier this year, White released a book, The Good Sport, where he takes an unflinching look at the current state of intercollegiate sports, including the tumultuous changes brought on by the Supreme Court's landmark decision on name, image, and likeness (NIL) rights. Drawing on his decades of leadership, White examines the chaos, challenges, and opportunities of this new era – and why he believes the future of college sports hangs in the balance.
White and his wife, Jane, a former college track and field coach, have five children and 16 grandchildren.
About NACDA: Now in its 60th year, NACDA is the professional and educational Association for more than 24,000 college athletics administrators at more than 2,300 institutions throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico. NACDA manages 19 professional associations and four foundations. In addition to virtual programming, NACDA hosts and/or has a presence at seven major professional development events in-person annually. The NACDA & Affiliates Convention is the largest gathering of collegiate athletics administrators in the country. For more information, visit www.nacda.com.
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