The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) will award NFHS Citations to eight high school athletic directors December 17 in San Antonio, Texas, during luncheon festivities at the 49th annual National Athletic Directors Conference sponsored jointly by the NFHS and the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (NIAAA).
NFHS Citations are presented annually to outstanding athletic directors in recognition of contributions to interscholastic athletics at the local, state and national levels. State associations nominate athletic directors for NFHS Citations, and the NFHS Board of Directors approves recipients.
This year’s award winners include Michael Moore, the current Executive Director of Illinois Athletic Directors Association (IADA):
Mike Morris, CMAA, technically retired as a high school administrator in 2005, but continues to serve athletic administrators in Illinois as the executive director of the Illinois Athletic Directors Association (IADA).
After graduating from the University of Illinois in 1972, Morris began his career in education as the physical education teacher and coach at Macomb Senior High School in Macomb, Illinois. He also taught at Glenbard North High School, St. Bede Academy and St. Joseph Ogden High School, where he was the head football coach. In 1984, Morris became the assistant dean of students at Lyons Township High School in LaGrange, Illinois, where he would remain for more than 20 years, including 13 as the division chair for health, physical education, athletics and student activities.
Even before becoming the IADA Executive Director in 2012, Morris was highly involved with the organization. From 1991 to 1998, Morris served on the IADA Registration Committee and has presented at the state conference annually since 1991. He joined the IADA Board of Directors in 1999 and served as the group’s treasurer and retired athletic director liaison from 1999 to 2012. Morris also was on the IADA Strategic Planning Committee from 2002 to 2006.
At the national level, Morris has represented the IADA on the National Executive Directors Council since 2012, and was a part of the NIAAA Strategic Planning Committee from 2014 to 2016. On three occasions, he has presented at the National Athletic Directors Conference, and has authored articles in Interscholastic Athletic Administration magazine, NFHS Coaches’ Quarterly and NFHS News.
Morris has also been a leader at the local level, serving as president of the West Suburban Conference Athletic Directors in 1996-97, and as the resource athletic director for football, wrestling and swimming for 14 years.
In 1997, the IADA named Morris the Outstanding Athletic Administrator of the Year and honored him as a Class AA Co-Athletic Director of the Year in 2004. Perhaps Morris’ highest recognition was being inducted into the Illinois Athletic Directors Hall of Fame in 2008.