Rod Lovett named NJCAA Director of Championships
The longtime Parkland Athletic Director will oversee all 47 national championship events
Colorado Springs, CO – The NJCAA has announced the hiring of longtime Parkland (IL) Athletic Director Rod Lovett as the new Director of Championships, effective August 1. Lovett is set to retire from Parkland July 31, 2018 after a laudable 18 years for the Cobras.
"We are very excited to add Mr. Lovett to our NJCAA staff," stated NJCAA Executive Director Dr. Christopher Parker. "Rod brings a wealth of NJCAA knowledge to our office, something we believe our membership will certainly appreciate and value as we continue to grow and promote our national championships. His NJCAA veteran status will help make us all better."
Lovett's duties for the NJCAA will consist of direct oversight of all NJCAA national championships while serving the membership with the highest regard. Lovett will work with the entire NJCAA team and the national hosts to make sure all 47 national championships are of the highest quality and provide student-athletes with a memorable experience.
A member of the NJCAA Board of Directors, Lovett has served the association in multiple capacities during his tenure. Lovett has chaired both the Championship Events and Division II Baseball committees while holding the title of Region 24 Men's Director for the past 15 years.
Lovett expressed his enthusiasm for serving the association on a national level. "I'm truly excited about this amazing opportunity. This is a chance for me to give back to an organization I have supported for nearly 30 years and I look forward to continuing to improve and grow our championship events. Whether it be DI, DII, DIII, men's or women's, or team sport or individual, these student-athletes and coaches deserve to participate in an event they will remember for a lifetime."
Lovett's campaign at Parkland has seen a wealth of growth since his arrival in 1989. In the last 18 years alone, the Cobras have boasted 43 trips to their respective national tournaments with 23 final four appearances and a commendable four national championships among the eight programs. 72 student-athletes have been honored with All-American status. The winningest baseball coach in Parkland history, Lovett also served as the program's head coach for 12 years.
The Champaign, IL native oversaw major facility renovations while at Parkland that included the addition of a state-of-the-art fitness center, training room, and soccer field. Lovett played a pivotal role in adding two full-time positions in the athletic department to aid with retention and academic progress, a move that has seen over 200 student-athletes earn NJCAA All-Academic recognition and multiple NJCAA Academic Team of the Year accolades.