Larry Schiner, the Director of Athletics at New Jersey City University, has been named the 2003-04 Division III Southeast Region National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics Athletic Director of the Year.

Schiner, who in September was named as the 2003 ECAC Jostens Male and Female Administrators of the Year, will be recognized at the James J. Corbett Awards Luncheon during the NACDA’s 39^th Annual Convention in Dallas, TX, on June 12.

“To be recognized by my colleagues in the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics is a very special honor and certainly a highlight of my career in athletics administration. This award is also reflective of the hard work of my staff and the support from the University.”

Dr. Alene Graham, NJCU’s Vice President for Student Affairs added “The honor that has been bestowed upon Larry Schiner by his peers brings with it a special recognition to the Athletic Department and New Jersey City University. It is always a special distinction to be honored by one's peers."

Now in his 37th year at New Jersey City University and his 27th as Director of Athletics, Larry Schiner has been the chief architect of unprecedented growth and improvement in Gothic Knight intercollegiate sports. During his tenure, Schiner has spearheaded development of the new Athletic & Fitness Center, supervised the development of the Thomas M. Gerrity Athletic Complex, initiated the athletic department’s extensive community outreach projects and services program, and served with distinction on New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC), Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) and National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) committees.

Schiner was named director of athletics in 1977 after serving as head men’s basketball coach and assistant athletic director under Tom Gerrity. During his nine seasons as head basketball coach, he became the winningest coach in the program’s history with 133 wins.  Two of his teams were selected to participate in the NCAA College Division Championship Tournament.  Five of his Gothic Knight teams reached post-season play and the 1973 and 1974 squads claimed back-to-back New Jersey State College Athletic Conference (NJSCAC) titles. He earned NJSCAC Coach of the Year honors in 1968 and 1973, and was inducted into NJCU’s Athletic Hall of Fall as a coach in 1980. In 1982, he was presented with the Jersey City State College Honorary Alumni Award. He also served as NJCU’s men’s tennis coach for three seasons (1968-70), after being hired at the college in September 1967.

In October of 1995, Schiner had the double honor of being inducted into the University of Maine Sports Hall of Fame as a basketball player and being bestowed the Garden State Award by the Collegiate Athletic Administrators of New Jersey (CAANJ) for his substantial and enduring contributions to intercollegiate athletics in the state.

On November 30, 2000, Schiner was honored with the General Robert R. Neyland Outstanding Athletic Director/All-American Football Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award at the All-American Football Foundation’s Banquet of Champions for decades of contributions to the sport.

He was selected as the 2003 Jostens-ECAC Male Administrator of the Year—an award presented annually to athletics administrators from ECAC member schools in recognition of outstanding or meritorious service to the ECAC.  The Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference is comprised of 315 Division I, II, and III member institutions from Maine to North Carolina.

Schiner was co-founder and past president of both the CAANJ and the New Jersey Collegiate Basketball Coaches Association (NJCBCA), performing a term as president of the NJCBCA in 1976-77 and of the CAANJ in 1986-87.

He also was instrumental in the formation of the New Jersey Athletic Conference and served as its first president from 1985 through 1987. He served as president of the NJSCAC (New Jersey State College Athletic Conference), the precursor of the NJAC from 1982 until the inception of the NJAC in 1985.

Active on the national and regional levels, Schiner served on the NCAA Council/Division III Steering Committee from 1993-97 and was a member of the Division III Task Force that reviewed the NCAA membership structure and Division III philosophy statement. He also served on the NCAA Division III Men’s Basketball Committee (1991-97), the NCAA Division III Championships Committee, and both the NCAA Nominating and Interpretations Committees.  From 1991-97, he was chair of the Mid-Atlantic Division III Men’s Basketball Committee. Additionally, he is a member of the Hudson County Sports Hall of Fame Committee.

Presently, Schiner is a member of the ECAC Championships Committee and Eastern Regional Football Selection Committee. He served on the ECAC Eligibility Committee from 1987 through 1992, chairing the committee in 1991-92.  He recently completed a three-year term on the ECAC Board of Directors, and has served on numerous other ECAC committees. Schiner is also an active member of NACDA, and was a member of the NACDA Kickoff Classic Host Committee for the annual Kickoff Classic College Football game at the Meadowlands which concluded following the 2002 season.

Schiner holds a bachelor’s degree in physical education (’61) and a master’s degree in education (’62) from the University of Maine. He was an All-Yankee Conference, All-Maine and Honorable Mention All-New England basketball player in 1960 and 1961 and established six Black Bear records including most points (career), most rebounds (season), and highest field goal percentage (season and career) following a playing career than spanned 1958-1961 for coach Brian McCall.