Seven High School Athletic Administrators to be Inducted into NIAAA Hall of Fame

SOURCE: National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS)

INDIANAPOLIS, IN (November 30, 2018) — Seven high school athletic administrators will be inducted into the 10^th class of the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (NIAAA) Hall of Fame December 18 in San Antonio, Texas, during banquet festivities at the 49^th annual National Athletic Directors Conference co-sponsored by the NIAAA and the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS). 

This year’s conference will be held December 14-18 at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio.   

The 2018 NIAAA Hall of Fame class includes Bruce Bowen, CMAA, retired athletic administrator of Hermitage High School in Richmond, Virginia, and currently executive director of the Virginia Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association; Steve Duncan, CMAA, retired athletic director, Valley High School, West Des Moines, Iowa; Kevin Horrigan, CMAA, retired athletic director, Greenfield Central High School, Greenfield, Indiana; Allen Huestis, CAA, retired athletic director, Ponaganset (Rhode Island) High School; Don Riviere, retired athletic director, T. C. Williams High School, Alexandria, Virginia, and James Robinson High School, Fairfax County, Virginia; Roy Turner, CMAA, retired athletic director of Ashley High School in Wilmington, North Carolina, and currently executive director of the North Carolina Athletic Directors Association; and Bruce Whitehead, CMAA, retired executive director of the NIAAA, Indianapolis, Indiana.

Following are biographical sketches of the seven members of the 2018 NIAAA Hall of Fame class:

Bruce Bowen, CMAA

Mechanicsville, Virginia

Bruce Bowen, CMAA, has been executive director of the Virginia Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (VIAAA) since 2008 after an outstanding 37-year career as a teacher, coach and athletic administrator at Hermitage High School in Richmond, Virginia.

Bowen returned to his high school alma mater in 1972 and coached football, boys track, boys cross country and girls cross country during his highly successful 15-year stint as a coach at the school. Bowen’s overall record in the various sports was 156-24 with 11 district, seven regional and two state titles.

Bowen became the school’s athletic administrator in 1987 and served 22 years before retiring in 2009. He oversaw more than $1 million in facility improvements during his tenure and added nine sports for girls. In 1993, he was responsible for starting the school’s Athletic Hall of Fame. 

Bowen was the founder of the Central Virginia Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association and served as its chairman for six years between 1997 and 2003. He also was the district awards chair from 1987 to 2009 and managed more than 100 district, regional and state tournaments. He started the district cheer competition and directed that event for 10 years.

Before becoming VIAAA executive director, Bowen was president in 2004-05 and served as chair of several VIAAA committees, as well as chair of the 1997 and 2002 VIAAA State Conferences. During his time as VIAAA executive director the past 10 years, Bowen has raised more than $600,000 for the association’s programs.

Bowen also served on the Virginia High School League (VHSL) Executive Committee in 1999-2000 and the VHSL Foundation Board of Directors from 2009 to 2016, and he was vice-chair of the VHSL Student Leadership Conference in 2003. He currently serves on the VHSL SLHall of Fame Selection Committee.

In his work with the NIAAA, Bowen has served as a moderator at several National Athletic Directors Conferences and is a state Leadership Training Institute instructor. Bowen has attended 26 National Athletic Directors Conferences, and he has taken 22 Leadership Training classes.

Bowen is a member of the National Executive Directors Council (NEDC) and represented sections two, three and four on the NEDC Executive Committee from 2011 to 2016. He was the NEDC representative on the NIAAA Board of Directors from 2014 to 2016 and hosted the 2015 NEDC Summit in Williamsburg. Bowen is also the author of four articles for NIAAA publications.

Bowen has been a member of the NIAAA and VIAAA for 31 years. Among his awards, he was named VIAAA State Athletic Administrator of the Year in 1999-2000, and he received the NIAAA State Award of Merit in 2003, the NIAAA Distinguished Service Award in 2011, the VIAAA Distinguished Service Award in 2012 and the NFHS Citation in 2014. Bowen was inducted into the Virginia High School Hall of Fame in 2007.

Upon his retirement in 2009, Bowen was inducted into the Hermitage High School Hall of Fame and the Hermitage Gymnasium was dedicated in his honor.

Steve Duncan, CMAA

Solon, Iowa

Steve Duncan was one of Iowa’s key leaders in athletic administration during his outstanding 20-year career as athletic director of Valley High School in West Des Moines, Iowa, from 1989 to 2009.

Duncan worked collaboratively with the West Des Moines School District to develop more than $15 million in new and renovated athletic facilities, which included the construction of the 8,300-seat Valley Stadium, which is used for football, soccer and many public events. He also established the Athletic Directors Advisory Council, which provided 20 student-athletes a voice in the management of the athletic department.

During his 20 years at Valley High School, Duncan was a part of many national video productions on coaching and published articles in the athletic administration field. His teams claimed 41 traditional state championships, including 20 boys titles and 21 girls titles. Valley High School captured the Des Moines Register State All-Sports Award six times during his tenure.

After graduating from Emporia (Kansas) State University in 1971, Duncan was a high school teacher for eight years and an assistant baseball coach at the University of Iowa for six years before beginning his athletic administrative career in 1985. Duncan was the athletic director at Sterling (Illinois) High School for four years before landing the Valley High School position in 1989.

In addition to his service at the local level, Duncan contributed many hours to the Iowa High School Athletic Directors Association (IHSADA) for 20 years. He served in numerous leadership positions with the IHSADA, including president in 1998-99, and he was NIAAA liaison for 13 years. During his time at Valley High, Duncan hosted numerous events for the Iowa High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) and the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union (IGHSAU). He also served on the Soccer Advisory Committees for both organizations.

At the national level, Duncan is a lifetime member of the NIAAA. He served on the NIAAA Certification Committee for five years and was a speaker at the National Athletic Directors Conference five times. Duncan, who attained his CAA designation in 1998 and CMAA in 2000, was a member of the Malaysian Youth Olympics Committee Advisory Team from 2000 to 2008.

Among his previous awards, Duncan was named the IHSADA Athletic Director of the Year in 2000 and was inducted into the IHSADA Hall of Fame in 2010. Duncan also received the NIAAA State Award of Merit in 2002, and, in 2008, he was the recipient of the Bernie Saggau Award of Merit – the top award presented by the IHSAA. When he retired in 2009, the West Des Moines school district renamed the outdoor athletic facilities as the Steve Duncan Sports Complex. 

Since his retirement in 2009, Duncan has worked part-time in the University of Iowa football equipment room and has served as the color commentator for the University of Iowa baseball radio network. He also was an assistant baseball coach at Solon (Iowa) High School for three years.

Kevin Horrigan, CMAA

Indianapolis, Indiana

Kevin Horrigan concluded his outstanding 40-year career in education in 2014, which included 29 years as an athletic administrator at three high schools in the Indianapolis area, as well as his tremendous service to athletic administration at the state and national levels.

After graduating from Brebeuf Preparatory School in Indianapolis and Bellarmine College in Louisville, Kentucky, Horrigan was a junior high school teacher for two years before a nine-year stint as a teacher and coach at Chatard High School in Indianapolis. Horrigan later earned his master’s degree from Butler University in Indianapolis.

Horrigan began his career in athletic administration in 1985 as athletic director and track and field/cross country coach at his alma mater, Brebeuf Preparatory School, where he served for five years. He then served 12 years as athletic director at Lawrence Central High School in Indianapolis, and 12 years as athletic director at Greenfield Central High School in Greenfield, Indiana, to close his career.

During his years at Lawrence Central, Horrigan was chair of the Athletic Facilities Improvement Committee for three years, and he established the school’s Athletic Hall of Fame. In his 12 years at Greenfield Central, Horrigan was a four-time recipient of the school’s influential educator award and a two-time recipient of the Excellence in Education Award. He established the Greenfield-Central Athletic Hall of Fame in 2004 and was inducted into the hall of fame last year.

Horrigan’s service to the Indiana High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) and the Indiana Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (IIAAA) was nothing short of phenomenal. During his 29 years at the three aforementioned high schools, Horrigan hosted 129 sectional championships, 31 regional championships and 10 semistate championships for the IHSAA. He also has been in charge of the finish line at the IHSAA Boys and Girls State Track and Field Championships since 1993, and he has been tournament director for the IHSAA Boys State Basketball Championship since 1993.  

Within the IIAAA, Horrigan has served in all leadership positions, including a term as president in 2003-04. He has attended 32 IIAAA state conferences and, since 1998, he has been the IIAAA lead CAA test administrator and an IIAAA Leadership Training Committee member.

Nationally, Horrigan has attended 30 National Athletic Directors Conferences and has been a vital member of the NIAAA since taking his first Leadership Training class and becoming a Certified Test Administrator in 1988. Horrigan has subsequently taken 32 Leadership Training classes and has been National Faculty Vice-Chair for two Leadership Training classes.

Horrigan was a member of the Host Committee for the 1992 National Athletic Directors Conference in Indianapolis, and he was chair of the Host Committee for the 2003 and 2011 conferences in Indianapolis. He has given yeoman service to the NIAAA Endowment Committee, serving as a committee member from 2003 to 2016, including the final four years as committee chair.

Horrigan has been a USA certified track and field official since 1980 and was the awards chairman for the 1987 Pan American Games and World Indoor Track and Field Championships and the 1988 Olympic Track and Field Trials. He received the NIAAA Distinguished Service Award in 2004, the NIAAA State Award of Merit in 2005 and the NFHS Citation in 2009. 

Allen Huestis, CAA

North Scituate, Rhode Island

Allen Huestis began his career in education in 1966 as a teacher at Ponaganset (Rhode Island) Middle School. In 2003, he retired as athletic director of Ponaganset High School after nearly 40 years of service to the school district.

Huestis assumed athletic director duties at Ponaganset in 1981 while continuing to teach reading at the middle school. During his 23 years as athletic director, Huestis coached middle school soccer from 1986 to 1990 and one season as the middle school’s boys basketball coach in 1992. Huestis also assisted with the high school’s girls soccer team until 1998, and continued to volunteer as a coach for the team until 2003.

During his 23 years as the Ponaganset athletic director, Huestis played a key role in updating the school’s facilities, including urging the passing of a bond for a new track complex that included bleachers, a concession stand and a football/soccer field. He also was responsible for rebuilding the baseball field with dugouts and adding a softball field.

When the school added boys and girls tennis, Huestis spearheaded the building of four tennis courts. And, his pride and joy was the addition of a 3.2-mile cross country course (complete with a covered bridge) that is used annually for the state cross country meets.

In addition, under Huestis’ watch, the Ponaganset girls basketball team won 152 consecutive league games during a 9½-year stretch, along with six Division I state championships. Also, Ponaganset teams won 15 state and officials association sportsmanship awards during Huestis’ years at the school.

Huestis was very active in the Rhode Island Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (RIIAAA). In 1987, he became vice president and assumed the RIIAAA presidency from 1989 to 1991. In 1994, he began serving as corresponding secretary, a position he held even after retirement. Eight times he was the association’s delegate to the NIAAA Delegate Assembly, and in 2001, he was named RIIAAA Athletic Director of the Year. He is currently serving as the state’s liaison to the NIAAA.

Within the Rhode Island Interscholastic League (RIIL), Huestis is a member of the RIIL Boys Soccer Committee and co-chair of the RIIL Girls Soccer Committee.

Huestis’ involvement with the NIAAA dates to the mid-1980s when he attended his first national conference in 1987, and he hasn’t missed one since. He recently concluded a 16-year stint on the NIAAA Endowment Committee, including four years as chair from 2004 to 2007. Huestis also served as chair of the Membership and Services Committee from 1997 to 2000, and was a member of the Ways and Means Committee. He also was a participant on the NIAAA Blue Ribbon Panel.

In addition, Huestis has been workshop moderator four times at the National Conference and was a presenter at the first-time committee member workshop from 2001 to 2008.

Huestis was awarded the NFHS Citation in 1993, the NIAAA Distinguished Service Award in 2006 and the NIAAA Thomas E. Frederick Award of Excellence in 2013. He is also a two-time recipient of the NIAAA State Award of Merit. In 2011, he was inducted into the RIIAAA Hall of Fame and was enshrined into the Ponaganset High School Athletic Hall of Fame in 2012.

Huestis earned his bachelor’s degree from Rhode Island College in 1966 and his master’s from the same school in 1972.

Don Riviere

Berryville, Virginia

Don Riviere was one of the early leaders in the athletic administration field – both at the state and national levels – during his 27 years at three high schools in Virginia.

Riviere launched his career in 1965 as athletic director at Francis Hammond High School in Alexandria, Virginia, before there were any state or national organizations for high school athletic administrators. In 1973, Riviere became the athletic director at T. C. Williams High School in Alexandria – two years after the 1971 football team at T. C. Williams High School won the Virginia AAA state championship and, in 2000, was the subject of the motion picture, Remember the Titans.

At the time Riviere became athletic director at T. C. Williams, it was the largest high school in the state. Perhaps his greatest accomplishments in 17 years as the school’s athletic director was overseeing the consolidation of T. C. Williams and changing its image from one of poor sportsmanship, weak financial management and viewed as non-competitive, into one of the most respected programs in the state.

Among his numerous accomplishments at T. C. Williams, Riviere established weekly eligibility cards for the school’s athletes, assisted in developing a $1 million boat house to serve 200 crew participants, directed district and regional track meets, directed the T. C. Williams Invitational Track Meet for many years, initiated the hiring of athletic trainers for middle schools and high schools, established athletic training and weight rooms, secured a new all-weather track and new football/track scoreboard and organized/supervised graduation ceremonies for 12 years.

In his final three years before retiring in 1992, Riviere was athletic director at James Robinson High School in Fairfax County, which was also the state’s largest high school at that time. 

At the state level, Riviere was a charter member of the Virginia State High School Athletic Directors Association (VSHSADA), the forerunner of the Virginia Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (VIAAA). He also was a regional director on the VSHSADA Board of Directors, president of the organization and chairman of the state conference. He also provided strong leadership for the Virginia High School League (VHSL), serving on the VHSL Executive Committee from 1991 to 1993.

Nationally, Riviere attended his first National Athletic Directors Conference in 1972 – the year after the conference was started by the NFHS – and was the only Virginia attendee. He attended every conference until his retirement and several more afterwards, and he was responsible for creating enthusiasm for the athletic administration profession in Virginia. He became an active member of the NIAAA, serving on the Ways and Means Committee and as a frequent workshop speaker.

Riviere, who graduated from high school and college in Canada and received his master’s from the University of Virginia, has been honored on many occasions throughout the years. At the state level, Riviere was selected VSHSADA Athletic Director of the Year, and he received the association’s Outstanding Leadership Award, Distinguished Service Award and John C. Youngblood Lifetime Achievement Award. In 1995, he was inducted into the VHSL Hall of Fame.

Among his national honors, Riviere is a previous recipient of the NIAAA State Award of Merit and NIAAA Distinguished Service Award. 

Roy Turner, CMAA

Wilmington, North Carolina

After 20 years as an influential athletic director at three North Carolina high schools, Roy Turner became executive director of the North Carolina Athletic Directors Association (NCADA) in July 2016 and continues in that role today. He succeeded Jerry McGee, the longtime leader of athletic administration in the state of North Carolina.

Turner’s ascension to the NCADA executive director position culminated a journey started in 1995, when he joined the organization. During the past 23 years, Turner has served as NCADA secretary, vice president, president and as a member of the Board of Directors. He is also active in the NCADA Leadership Training program, as a member of the Leadership Training Teaching Faculty and co-chairman of the overall program.

Turner, who has taken 42 NIAAA Leadership Training courses since 2001, has taught or assisted with 30 different courses in North Carolina. In addition, he developed the NCADA’s Professional Development Plan and maintains the NCADA website.

Turner began his athletic administration career in 1995 as athletic director at Dudley High School in Greensboro for three years. In 1998, he accepted the athletic director position at Southeast Guilford High School in Greensboro, where he served for eight years. In 2006, Turner moved to Wilmington, North Carolina, and was athletic director at Ashley High School for nine years before becoming NCADA executive director.

In addition to his 20 years as an athletic director, Turner also coached baseball and football at the junior high and high school levels. Turner created student-athlete handbooks at all three schools and, during his nine years at Ashley High School, Turner created the Varsity Club, the Athletic Honor Society and the Senior Awards Banquet.

At Southeast Guilford, Turner hosted numerous sectional and regional events for the North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) and served as chairperson of the NCHSAA Sectional Basketball Committee in 1997. Prior to his retirement in 2015, Turner scheduled all middle school athletics in New Hanover County in addition to his duties at Ashley High School.

Turner has made enormous contributions to the NIAAA and athletic administration at the national level through his involvement with the NFHS, the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) and as a member of the National Executive Directors Council (NEDC).

A lifetime member of the NIAAA, Turner has served on the NIAAA Board of Directors and the Leadership Training National Faculty. He has been North Carolina’s representative to the NIAAA Delegate Assembly and has represented North Carolina as the co-state coordinator for NIAAA Leadership Training since 2002. He also wrote a chapter for the NIAAA’s “Guide to Interscholastic Athletic Administration.”

Turner has been honored by many organizations during his career. He was the recipient of both the NCADA State Award of Merit and NCADA Distinguished Service Award in 2004, and he was named Athletic Director of the Year in 2009 by the NCADA as well as the NCHSAA. Turner was the recipient of the NFHS Citation in 2006 and the NIAAA Frank Kovaleski Professional Development Award in 2009, and he was selected National Athletic Director of the Year by NASPE in 2010.

In 2014, Turner was recognized as one of the Top 100 Athletic Administrators for the past 100 years by the NCHSAA. When he retired in 2015, Turner received the Jerry McGee Award of Excellence and the NIAAA Jim Teff Achievement Recognition. 

Turner earned his bachelor’s degree from East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina, and his master’s from North Carolina A&T University in Greensboro.

Bruce Whitehead, CMAA

Westfield, Indiana

Bruce Whitehead retired in June 2016 as executive director of the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (NIAAA) after a highly successful 11½-year term as head of the national organization for high school athletic directors. Altogether, he served the NIAAA in an administrative capacity for 15 years, beginning with his 3½ years as an assistant to Frank Kovaleski.

Shortly after becoming NIAAA executive director in 2005, Whitehead developed a plan to grow the organization apart from the NFHS and, in 2007, established its own office at another location in Indianapolis. As a part of the arrangement, the NIAAA became an equal partner with the NFHS in conducting the annual National Athletic Directors Conference and assumed control of the Interscholastic Athletic Administration (IAA) magazine.

During Whitehead’s tenure as executive director, NIAAA membership grew from 5,400 members to 10,300, and Leadership Training and Certification programs continued to expand in the number of courses and certification levels. He directed the establishment of the NIAAA Hall of Fame, the Student-Essay Scholarship program and the beginning of a marketing program for the organization. 

In addition to growing the membership, under Whitehead’s leadership the NIAAA was successful in gaining North Central Association CASI accreditation in 2011, doubling the association’s budget and completing three Strategic Plans.

Before joining the NIAAA staff in 2001, Whitehead had an extensive history with the organization dating to its inception in 1977. An NIAAA member since then, Whitehead has attended the National Athletic Directors Conference since 1981 and was a member of the first class of athletic administrators to become Certified Athletic Administrators in 1988. 

Whitehead was a member of the NIAAA Resolutions Committee from 1988 to 1993, including chairing the committee the final two years, and was the secretary-treasurer of the NIAAA from 1995 to 2001. He was on the Host Committee for the 1982 National Athletic Directors Conference in Indianapolis, and he chaired the Host Committee for the 1992 national conference.         

At the state level, Whitehead was a member of the Indiana Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (IIAAA) Board of Directors from 1979 to 1987, including a term as president. After he retired as NIAAA executive director in 2016, Whitehead assumed the duties of IIAAA executive director.

From 1989 to 1998, Whitehead was a member of the Indiana High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) Board of Directors. During this time, he was chair of the IHSAA Study Committee that recommended implementing a multiple-class championship instead of a single-class championship for team sports.    

After graduating from Purdue University in 1968, Whitehead became a math teacher at Crawfordsville High School, where he piloted the school’s computer curriculum in 1972 and coached tennis, baseball and basketball. In 1976, he became director of athletics, a position he held until leaving for the NIAAA position in 2001.

While at Crawfordsville, Whitehead expanded the program from 13 to 20 sports, created a coaches handbook, established an Athletic Hall of Fame, instituted an athletic discipline code for all athletes and hosted more than 200 IHSAA tournaments.

Among his many honors, Whitehead received the NFHS Citation in 1992, the NIAAA Distinguished Service Award in 1994 and the NIAAA Award of Merit in 2003. He was the IIAAA Athletic Administrator of the Year in 1992, received the IIAAA Charles Maas Award in 2002 and was awarded the Sagamore of the Wabash, the state’s highest civilian award, in 2015. 

About the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (NIAAA)

The NIAAA is the professional organization for interscholastic athletic administrators. The association is accredited by AdvancED and North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement. Based in Indianapolis, Indiana, the NIAAA promotes and enhances the profession of athletic administration for high school and middle school athletic administrators. Since 1977, the NIAAA has served those who lead education-based athletic programs in the nation’s schools. With current individual membership of nearly 11,000, the NIAAA consists of members from athletic administrator associations in the 50 states, and the District of Columbia, as well as over 40 international countries. Through its 48-course curriculum, and four levels of certification, the NIAAA is the national leader in providing professional development for athletic administrators, directors, coordinators, and supervisors, as well as those serving in assistant principal/athletic director, or activity/athletic director combined roles that lead school-based sports programs. While providing best-practices and serving as a resource for safe and plentiful participation opportunities for student-athletes, the NIAAA places further focus on member benefits, standards, communication, outreach, and recognition, while emphasizing the exchange of ideas among athletic administrators throughout the nation and the world. NIAAA champions the profession of athletic administration through education opportunities, advocating ethics, developing leaders and fostering community. For more information, visit the NIAAA website at www.niaaa.org. 

About the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS)

The NFHS, based in Indianapolis, Indiana, is the national leadership organization for high school sports and performing arts activities. Since 1920, the NFHS has led the development of education-based interscholastic sports and performing arts activities that help students succeed in their lives. The NFHS sets direction for the future by building awareness and support, improving the participation experience, establishing consistent standards and rules for competition, and helping those who oversee high school sports and activities. The NFHS writes playing rules for 16 sports for boys and girls at the high school level. Through its 50 member state associations and the District of Columbia, the NFHS reaches more than 19,500 high schools and 12 million participants in high school activity programs, including almost 8 million in high school sports. As the recognized national authority on interscholastic activity programs, the NFHS conducts national meetings; sanctions interstate events; offers online publications and services for high school coaches and officials; sponsors professional organizations for high school coaches, officials, speech and debate coaches, and music adjudicators; serves as the national source for interscholastic coach training; and serves as a national information resource of interscholastic athletics and activities. For more information, visit the NFHS website at www.nfhs.org.