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Rauber Hill Sunrise, by Mel Hunt

Scio Native Troy Tucker Wins National Award

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1987 Scio Central School Graduate

Allegany County Sports Hall of Fame Member

The National Alliance of Two-Year College Athletic Administrators (NATYCAA) has announced Northampton (Pa.) Community College Director of Athletics Troy Tucker as the 2022 recipient of the Association’s L. William Miller Award.

The L. William Miller Award is presented annually to a member of NATYCAA who demonstrates excellence in leadership, service and integrity in an athletics program at a two-year college or organization. The award is named after Miller, one of NATYCAA’s Founding Fathers who enjoyed an illustrious career at St. Louis Community College at Florissant Valley, where he coached track and cross country from 1966-73 and was the director of athletics from 1966 through his retirement in 1994.

A native of Scio, N.Y., Tucker was named director of athletics at Northampton Community College on June 2, 2008, and he immediately moved the Spartans to NJCAA membership. Since then, Northampton has enjoyed tremendous success in Region 19, capturing a NJCAA individual national championship (women’s cross country 2015), 11 Region 19 team championships, 22 Region 19 individual titles, 34 Eastern Pennsylvania Athletic Conference titles, have had 202 student-athletes named All-Region, 151 named All-Conference, 99 named NJCAA All-Academic, 31 earn NJCAA All-American honors, 23 named Eastern Pennsylvania Athletic Conference (EPAC) Player of the Year and 17 named Region 19 Player of the Year.

Under Tucker’s watch, Northampton’s success has extended beyond the playing surface, receiving the Region 19 Champions of Character Award six times, recognizing the program’s commitment to community service, sportsmanship and character development of its student-athletes.

At Northampton, Tucker has overseen a series of facility upgrades, twice hosted the NJCAA Division III Women’s Basketball National Championships, enhanced athletics branding with new logos and wordmarks, a new Spartan mascot and a redesign of NCCSPARTANS.com.

Tucker is also the executive director of Region 19, which oversees the operations of 28 NJCAA member colleges, and serves as the chief information officer. On August 1, 2018, Tucker was officially appointed to the NJCAA Board of Regents, a group of 35 individuals nationwide that work to oversee the mission of the NJCAA. Additionally, he was named as the chair of the NJCAA Eligibility Committee in August 2020 and sits on the Division III Oversight Committee.

Immediately prior to Northampton, Tucker served as the associate director of athletics at the University of Maryland from 2004 to 2008, where he oversaw the media relations unit, seven varsity sports, student-athlete discipline and the facilities & operations Unit. Northampton is not his first stint in two-year athletics, however.

Tucker served as the director of athletics at Jamestown Community College (1992-96), and Herkimer County Community College (1999-2004), where he was also head men’s basketball Coach from 1999-2003. He was also director of athletics and head men’s basketball coach at NCAA DIII D’Youville College from 1996-99, where he also founded and served as commissioner of the Independent Small College Athletic Conference (ISCAC).

Under Tucker’s direction, Herkimer athletics won five national championships, earned three consecutive top-10 finishes in the Region 3 Director’s Cup and finished 2003-04 ranked fifth in the Daktronics Cup standings. The Generals also claimed eight NJCAA Academic Team of the Year honors.

A highly decorated administrator with over 29 years in the industry, Tucker is a four-time National Athletics Director of the Year (NACDA 2020, 2017, 2013; NSCAA 1998) and is the only two-time recipient of the Region 19 Augie Eosso Award, the highest honor that can be bestowed upon an 
administrator, for his commitment and dedication to Region 19. Tucker is also a recipient of the prestigious NJCAA Loyalty Award (2019). Awarded a mere 19 times in the Association’s history, the Loyalty Award is given to an active athletics director in the NJCAA membership who has worked to uphold the ideals of the organization. Significant to this award is leadership in an athletic program exemplifying excellence both on the field/court and in the classroom.

In May 2018, Tucker was honored with the Richardson Award of Excellence, presented to a Northampton employee in recognition of their commitment to the betterment of the College. In March of 2018, Tucker was inducted into the Allegany County (N.Y.) Athletic Hall of Fame for his outstanding contributions and commitment to athletics throughout his career.

Outside of Region 19 and the NJCAA, Tucker has served as a member of the NATYCAA Executive Committee since June 2008 and was the inaugural President of the EPAC from March 1, 2012, thru February 29, 2016.

Tucker is involved with a number of other organizations, serving on the advisory board of College Athletics and the Law and the editorial board of Athletic Management, a leading publication for college and high school athletic administrators. Tucker serves on various committees with Via of the Lehigh Valley, a non-profit human service agency benefiting children and adults with disabilities.

Tucker is a 1991 graduate of SUNY Geneseo and a 1992 graduate of Springfield College, where he earned his master’s degree in athletic administration.

About NATYCAA: Now in its 34th year, NATYCAA is the professional organization of two-year college athletics administrators and membership open to all two-year institutions from throughout the country. NATYCAA is administered by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), which is in its 57th year. For more information on NACDA and the 18 professional associations that fall under its umbrella, please visit www.nacda.com. 

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