Dr. Leonard Nardone Position: Athletic Director

Dr. Len Nardone is the third permanent Athletics Director at Texas A&M International University. He officially assumed his AD duties on July 1, 2010, bringing more than three decades of coaching, educational and sport administrative experience to the task of building a premier NCAA Division II Athletics program.

Dr. Nardone's diverse background includes stints as a head basketball coach for men and women at the intercollegiate level and Athletic Director stops at three previous institutions.

As an administrator and former coach, Dr. Nardone has earned the reputation as a builder of successful programs. His extensive background includes experience in creating new policy/procedure manuals, marketing strategies, public relations and fund raising programs for several colleges and universities.

Dr. Nardone took the reigns at TAMIU after serving as Associate Dean for University Sports for the American University of Beirut for three years. During his tenure there, he was responsible for the new Charles Hostler Student Center and its related recreational and sports programs.

Dr. Nardone began his career as a public school educator and coach. Several years later he accepted a position at Rider University as assistant men's basketball coach, head women's basketball coach, and head track and cross country coach. All of the programs under his direct supervision improved from the "worst" in the conference to the "best."

After developing the athletic programs at Rider University and beginning the academic work for his doctorate in sport administration at Temple University, Dr. Nardone accepted the position of associate director for athletics and men's basketball coach at Seattle University.

Once again, he reorganized a struggling athletic program that had just de-emphasized from NCAA Division I to a non-scholarship model. As head basketball coach, he led SU to their first 20 win season in more than 18 years, won the conference title, and was honored by his peers by being selected conference Coach of the Year. The Chieftans improved from a 9-18 record in Nardone's first season to a 22-9 mark in his fourth and final season.

Upon completing his doctorate at Temple University, Dr. Nardone held several AD and administrative positions. He served as Athletics Director at Philadelphia University (1988-89), Sheldon Jackson College (Alaska) (1989-95) and State University of New York, Genesee (1997-2007). Dr. Nardone also served as Associate Executive Director for the USA Team Handball Federation before taking at SUNY-Genesee.

Dr. Nardone has both a bachelor's and master's degree in physical education from Springfield College (Mass.) and a Doctor of Education in sport administration from Temple University.