Tom Jurich, '80 NAU Alumnus from Louisville, KY, Honored with Dwight Patterson Alumnus of the Year Award

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Tom Jurich, Courtesy of University of Louisville

FLAGSTAFF, AZ (10/17/2011)(readMedia)-- Tom Jurich, '80, VP/Director of Athletics at the University of Louisville honored with the Dwight Patterson Alumna/Alumnus of the Year by Northern Arizona University Alumni Association

"Tom is an energetic leader," says University of Louisville President Dr. James Ramsey. "He has the advantage of being able to see the world of collegiate athletics from the viewpoint of a coach, an administrator, an athlete and a parent because he has worn all of those hats in his career. He has the vision to create a model program, assemble an ambitious group of talented coaches and staff, build world-class facilities and create educational as well as championship opportunities for hundreds of student-athletes."

Tom Jurich, '80 BA, is the type of alumnus that embodies the Dwight Patterson award. As a student athlete at NAU when the Walkup Skydome first opened, he earned first-team Kodak All-American honors in 1977 - the first collegiate kicker to be named to the Kodak honor list. Jurich also received All-American acclaim from The Sporting News in 1977.

"It's difficult to single out one favorite memory while at NAU, but it would probably be when we opened up the dome in 1977. No one had seen a building of that size before and it was awe inspiring. I can remember having such a great feeling of pride for our school and the community to have such a wonderful building, and to top it off we won the game," says Jurich, who kicked a late-game 54-yard field goal to give the Lumberjacks a 25-24 victory over Montana. "I was as happy for the community to have the building come to fruition as I was in our team for beating a ranked team in our first game."

Jurich was inducted into the NAU Athletic Hall of Fame in 1989. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers and later played with the Minnesota Vikings. After serving as a football coach at the University of Minnesota, Tom was hired as assistant athletic director at NAU in 1984. He became athletic director in 1988 and served for another eight years.

"Margaret Ann [Hughes] worked with Tom when he was a student-athlete at NAU, and I appointed him as Athletic Director in 1988. At that time, Tom was only 29 years old and the youngest NCAA Division I director in the nation," says NAU President Emeritus Dr. Eugene Hughes, who co-nominated Jurich for the Patterson Award along with his wife Dr. Margaret Ann Hughes. "After his years at NAU, Tom became athletic director at Colorado State University. While there, he oversaw one of the most successful time periods in CSU's on-field competitiveness. In 1997, Tom moved to the University of Louisville where his desire and vision has led the Louisville Cardinals to unprecedented development and acclaim. In our opinion, Tom, and his wife, Terrilynn, '89, represent role models for every aspect of their personal and career lives. Tom is undoubtedly one of the finest and most successful athletic directors in the nation."

At the University of Louisville, Tom's accomplishments led him be name the school's first Vice President for Athletics in 2003, inducted into the Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame in 2006, and to receive Street & Smith's Sports Business Journal/Business Daily Athletic Director of the Year Award and the Louisville Magazine Person of the Year Award in 2007.

One of Tom's many recent accolades includes opening a new 22,000-seat basketball arena at the University of Louisville that was a partnership project supported by the State of Kentucky, City of Louisville and the university. College basketball analyst Dick Vitale summed it up by saying, "They should build a monument to Tom in Louisville."

"I'm thrilled that my alma mater, which is a great school and I love dearly, would even consider honoring me with this award. I have so many fond memories of NAU and have built an abundance of terrific, long-lasting friendships. My playing days with the Lumberjacks were phenomenal, our teams had great success, and NAU gave me my start in athletic administration. I'm proud that both myself and my wife graduated from NAU," says Jurich.

The NAU Alumni Association is honored to present Tom Jurich with the Dwight Patterson Alumnus of the Year Award.

"Tom is being recognized for his outstanding success and leadership in advancing collegiate sports and supporting student athletes," says Neil Goodell, Director of NAU Alumni Relations. "He has dedicated his life to shaping and influencing athletic achievements at NAU as well as other institutions and communities across the U.S. We are extremely proud of Tom's accomplishments and his long-time commitment to student success."

Jurich will be presented the award during halftime at the NAU Homecoming football game, Saturday, October 22, 2011 at the Walkup Skydome in Flagstaff.

About the award:

DWIGHT PATTERSON (class of 1934) Alumnus/Alumna of the Year Award. Dwight was president of the Alumni Association in 1946. He won both the Alumni Service Award and the Distinguished Citizen Award. He was responsible for bringing major league baseball to the state and was chosen to toss out the first ball at BOB to initiate big league baseball in Arizona when the Diamondbacks played their very first game. He was also called "Mr. Mesa," because he was the driving force for Mesa clean government. He was a landowner and financial investor. He was a giant in education, serving on the Board of Regents, State Board of Public Instruction and Community College Board. Dwight was also a great football player for NAU, inducted into the NAU Athletics Hall of Fame in 1987. He died in 1999.

Award Description: This award is presented to an alumna or alumnus who has achieved outstanding success in his or her professional career. Service to NAU or the Alumni Association is not a requirement. Preference will be given to those who have earned degrees from NAU.