MANHATTAN, Kan. – Former K-State Director of Athletics Max Urick was one of six former athletics directors announced as part of the 2017 National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) Hall of Fame class, the organization has announced.
Urick, who served as Kansas State’s 12th director of athletics from 1993-2001, joins Mike Alden, University of Missouri; Dr. M. Dianne Murphy, Columbia University; C.M. Newton, University of Kentucky; Tim Selgo, Grand Valley State University and Randy Spetman, Florida State University, as members of this year’s class.
The honorees will receive their awards on Wednesday, June 14, at NACDA’s 52nd Annual Convention at the Learfield Directors’ Cup Luncheon, located at the World Center Marriott Resort in Orlando, Florida.
“I am grateful and very humbled by this recognition, especially because it is from my peers and colleagues dedicated to intercollegiate athletics,” Urick said. “My family has consistently been the solid anchor of my entire life, and they buoyed my spirits and kept me humble. I have had unbelievable opportunities to learn and grow, and live and work at great universities with smart, talented and dedicated young men and women, and they are the ones that have provided the ‘push and pull of progress.’ We shared a common belief that our work was essentially about the values of sport that go beyond winning and losing. I have truly been blessed to have a career that was challenging for sure, but gratifying, fulfilling and great fun.”
Urick’s dynamic leadership, sense of direction and expectation of a high level of professionalism within the department catapulted Wildcat athletics into the 21st Century and as a leader in the Big 12 Conference.
He was a key player in the development of the Big 12 Conference and its ongoing transition. In doing so, he solidified K-State’s athletic future in one of the premier athletics conferences in college sports. But, as a team player, Urick was always quick to give credit to the many people involved in success at Kansas State.
Under Urick’s guidance, the athletics department made tremendous strides toward stabilizing financial balance while continuing an exciting growth period for athletic facilities at K-State. Urick placed a high priority on gender-equity issues at K-State by implementing several plans to enhance and increase women’s opportunities at K-State. The annual operating budget doubled during Urick’s tenure, proving that the financial health of the K-State athletics department stabilized and thrived under Urick’s direction.
Urick came to K-State after spending 19 years at Iowa State, including 10 as the Cyclones’ director of athletics. He originally joined the ISU staff as assistant athletics director in 1974 and then took over as athletics director in 1983. Before his arrival at Iowa State in 1974, Urick spent 13 seasons as a collegiate football coach at several levels.
A native of Troy, Ohio, Urick was an All-America football and lacrosse player at Ohio Wesleyan University and also won a conference wrestling title prior to earning his bachelor’s degree in biological science/physical education in 1961. He received his master’s degree in physical education from The Ohio State University in 1965.