Clauss Tabbed 2023 NACDA Cushman & Wakefield AD of the Year

Cleveland, Ohio – Saddleback College Dean of Kinesiology and Athletics Dan Clauss has been tabbed a 2023 NACDA Cushman & Wakefield AD of the Year (ADOY), announced Monday. 

 

Clauss brings over 13 years of experience in community college athletics, including teaching and coaching. Prior to leading Saddleback, he served as the director of athletics at Cerritos College where he oversaw all aspects of the athletics department including Title IX compliance, fundraising, personnel management, game and event management, class scheduling, facility management and infrastructure improvements, budgets, and marketing. Clauss holds a Master of Arts in Education Emphasis in Two-Year College Physical Education from Western Carolina University and a Bachelor of Science in Health Management from Southeast Missouri State University.

 

The ADOY Award highlights the efforts of athletics directors at all levels for their commitment and positive contributions to student-athletes, campuses and their surrounding communities.

 

All NACDA-member directors of athletics in the United States, Canada and Mexico who met the criteria were eligible for the award. Among the criteria were service as an AD for a minimum of five academic years; demonstration of commitment to higher education and student-athletes; continuous teamwork, loyalty and excellence; and the ability to inspire individuals or groups to high levels of accomplishments. Additionally, each AD's institution must have passed a compliance check through its appropriate governing body (i.e., NCAA, NAIA, etc.), in which the institution could not have been on probation or cited for a lack of institutional control during the tenure of the current athletics director.

 

Clauss joins fellow CCCAA athletic directors Kanoe Bandy (Taft), Joe Jennum (Mt. SAC), and Collin Pregliasco (Cosumnes River) as well as Will Cowan (Ventura), Dave Evans (San Diego Mesa), Jim Forkum (Santa Rosa), Albert Gasparian (Golden West), Warren Hansen (Cuesta), Bob Myers (Solano), Kulwant Singh (De Anza), and John Volek (Sierra) who are previous recipents of the ADOY award.