2020 NJCAA Athletic Director of the Year

NJCAA Athletic Director of the Year

The NJCAA Athletic Director of the Year is awarded to an NJCAA Athletic Director who best exemplifies the overall purpose of leading their institution, athletic department, student-athletes, and community through positive initiatives and contributions.

Created in the spring of 2020, the NJCAA Athletic Director of the Year is part of the NJCAA Annual Awards that honor three distinct categories across the association - Athletic Director of the Year, Sports Information Director of the Year, and Athletic Trainer of the Year. These awards represent individuals who strive to create the optimal student-athlete experience on their campus while also performing duties that go far beyond the institutional level. 

Steven Campbell Jr. | Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College | Athletic Director

Under Steven Campbell Jr.'s guidance, Mississippi Gulf Coast has found success at all levels – from the classroom to the gridiron, from the diamonds to the links. For Campbell's efforts, the third-year Athletic Director has been named the inaugural NJCAA Athletic Director of the Year.

Campbell oversees a program of 10 NJCAA intercollegiate programs as well as the cheer team. Campbell leads a department of 37 individuals throughout the athletic department that operates in the highly competitive NJCAA Region 23.

"Steven is very deserving of this award and the entire MGCCC family is proud of him," stated Ladd Taylor, Mississippi Gulf Coast's Vice President of the Perkinston Campus and George County Center. "Steven, who has exceptional leadership skills, oversees an athletic department that is nationally recognized for excelling in the classroom and in competition. Over the last two and a half years, Steven has  demonstrated a commitment to excellence on a daily basis and consistently sets the tone of an expectation for excellence in athletics at MGCCC."

Highlighted by the football program's national championship in December that was featured on CBS Sports Network, the Bulldogs continued an unprecedented run across a number of athletic programs throughout the 2019 calendar year. Along with the football team's undefeated national championship in Pittsburg, KS, the program also collected 2019 Mississippi Association of Community & Junior Colleges (MACJC) Championship and the 2019 MACJC South Championship. The men's golf program took home the 2019 NJCAA Division II Region 23 Championship as well as the 2019 MACJC Championship.

"I'm very fortunate to work at a place that loves athletics and works daily to see it succeed," Campbell said. "This really speaks more to my administration, coaches, and Athletic Department. We have been given all the resources needed to be successful, and it is awesome to be around individuals who use these resources to the fullest and take pride in what they do. I couldn't be more proud of everyone involved in athletics here at Gulf Coast, and I can't wait to see the next chapter."

In the fall of 2019, the men's soccer program reached the MACJC Championship game, falling in penalty kicks to cap off a 13-6-1 season, one-year removed from a 5-9-1 campaign. The spring 2019 season was a prosperous time for the Bulldogs as the men's golf team finished third at the national championship in Plymouth, IN, its third consecutive top-three finish at the national meet. The softball program reached the MACJC Tournament after a 31-14 record, a nine-win improvement from the year before. Led by future MLB Draft Pick Brandon Parker, the baseball program collected 29 wins.

The on-field success for the Bulldogs is apparent, but not nearly as impressive as the department's overall GPA of 3.37 for the 2019 year. In June, 90 Mississippi Gulf Coast student-athletes received MACJC All-Academic honors, including 23 who earned Distinguished honors for having a GPA of 3.80 or better. 45 of those student-athletes were recognized on the NJCAA All-Academic Teams, a group that included 13 student-athletes with a 4.0 GPA.

In the fall, the sofbtall and women's tennis teams each boasted a department-high 3.65 GPA as all 10 programs achieved a 3.04 GPA or higher.

Campbell's achievements that impact the student-athlete directly from off-field and out-of-classroom endeavors are prevalent as well. Campbell's oversight of athletic facilities includes the newly constructed Ross-Smith Softball Field and the football team's pristine A.L. May Memorial Stadium.

Campbell is also an active member of the MACJC Athletic Council.

A Mississippi Gulf Coast alum, Campbell earned NJCAA All-Academic honors as a member of the football program before earning a bachelor's degree in economics from Ole Miss and a master's degree in business administration from the University of Central Arkansas.

For all 2020 NJCAA Annual Award Winners, visit: 2020 NJCAA Annual Award Winners Home

For all NJCAA Honors, please visit: NJCAA Honors Home