Bandy Tabbed 2024 L. William Miller Award Recipient

Westlake, Ohio - Taft College Athletic Director Kanoe Bandy has been tabbed the 2024 National Alliance of Two-Year College Athletic Administrators (NATYCAA) L. William Miller Award recipient, announced Monday.

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.

Bandy adds the award to her impressive resume of other national awards, including being named the 2019 Under Armour NACDA Athletic Director of the Year. Within the California Community College Athletic Association (3C2A), she was named Athletic Director of the Year in 2012 and Coach of the Year in 2023 by the California Community College Coaches Association (4CA).

During her tenure at Taft College, she has served on a number of organizations both as a volleyball coach and as an administrator. She was the chair of the 3C2A Management Council for four years, as well as representing water polo for six years and women's volleyball. She also was the secretary/treasurer to the California Community College Women's Volleyball Coaches Association (CCCWVCA) for 22 years, and currently she is the membership chair and treasurer for the California Community College Athletic Directors Association (CCCADA) for 17 years.

On the sidelines, Bandy has been honored multiple times with conference coach of the year, Nor Cal regional coach of the year and in 2005, was named the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Northern Regional Coach of the Year in 2010. In both 2015 and 2023, she received the Coaching Achievement Award by the California Community College Coaches Association (CCCCA), becoming the lone coach that has won this award more than once. Bandy is most proud of her 2001 and 2017 teams who won the CCCAA State Scholar Team Awards, with the 2017 team having a 3.43 GPA.  In fall 2021, Bandy retired from coaching with 567 career wins, five conference championships and 13 playoff appearances. 

In the community, Bandy and her teams fed families during the holidays, worked with the children at the childcare center during Halloween and Easter, collected canned goods for Thanksgiving, cleaned up the community and raised breast cancer awareness on campus and in the community. Bandy received the Soroptimist Ruby Award: Women Helping Women which recognized the contributions to the local Soroptimist Club Critical Care funds which helps transport cancer and critically ill patients to their doctors' appointments and treatments. 

Bandy will be honored at the 2024 NACDA and Affiliates Convention in June in Las Vegas, Nev.