Athletic Director Spotlight - Joe Glover, Indiana University Southeast
KIAC Athletic Director Spotlight
In this edition of the KIAC Athletic Director Spotlight, KIAC Sports Information Director Jeremy Steele introduces Indiana University Southeast Athletic Director Joe Glover who provides some insight on IU Southeast Athletics and the KIAC.
Name: Joe Glover
School: Indiana University Southeast
Years in position: 1
Years experience in athletics: 8
Hometown: New Albany, IN
Profile: I am engaged to be married to my fiance Melissa on May 12, 2012. I am currently pursuing my Masters of Business Administration. I enjoy listening to sports radio and those who know me closely know that I never miss an episode of the Dan Patrick Show.
** AD talk with Joe Glover**
Indiana University Southeast offers a number of competitive sports. Tell us more about what Indiana University Southeast offers and what's new in the Athletics Department.
IU Southeast offers the following intercollegiate varsity sports: Volleyball, Women's Basketball, Men's Basketball, Softball, Baseball, Men's Tennis, and Women's Tennis. The athletic department also sponsors a dance team and a cheerleading squad that also competes at a national level. To complement our varsity sports offerings, the IU Southeast athletic department also manages the University's intramural and fitness center program.
There are a lot of exciting things going on at IU Southeast. Our intramural and fitness center programs are growing at an impressive rate. More students than ever are now utilizing the services of the IU Southeast Athletic Department. Our varsity programs also continue to be very competitive at the conference and national levels. We also have several facility upgrades going on over the summer that will enhance the experience we are able to provide for our students. Overall, it is an exciting time to be involved with IU Southeast Athletics.
In athletic departments across the nation there are stories of traditions, past coaches, and memorable games. Share with us one or two of these that are linked with the legacy of IU Southeast Athletics.
When the words tradition, legacy, and IU Southeast Athletics are brought up in the same sentence, one name immediately rises to the top of the list. That person is former men's basketball head coach and athletic director Jim Morris. Building the program from the ground up, I enjoy spending time with Coach Morris and listening to him tell the countless stories of the legacy surrounding IU Southeast and intercollegiate athletics.
Perhaps my greatest memory with IU Southeast athletics was when our men's basketball team made it to the Final Eight in the NAIA National Tournament in 2010. It was such a great experience for our student-athletes, and it was the first time in our school history that we had advanced that far in a NAIA National Tournament. It is an experience that I never forget.
Education is certainly strengthened and enhanced in the classroom. How does IU Southeast Athletics supplement the education experience of its student athletes?
We teach every day. Some people think of athletics as the activity that occurs outside of the classroom. I challenge people who take this rather simplistic view of teaching. Everyone in our department is a teacher and has the ability to help support the academic mission of our institution by enriching our students with learning opportunities. We reward the academic achievement of our student-athletes in many ways at IU Southeast. Students who achieve a GPA of 3.0 or better during a semester are named to the IU Southeast Athletic Director's Honor Roll. Student-athletes who earn NAIA Academic All-American status are also included in a Wall-of-Fame photo display outside of the IU Southeast gymnasium. We also encourage all of our student-athletes to be involved in other groups and activities on campus to further enhance their educational opportunities.
In existence since 1915, the KIAC possesses a unique tradition. What distinguishes the KIAC from other NAIA conferences?
The one unique tradition that distinguishes the KIAC from other conferences is the fact that the schools which make up the KIAC are so diverse in nature. You have private and public institutions, large and small campus enrollments, assorted academic offerings, and diverse geography. Perhaps our greatest uniting factor is the fact that each institution is so different in its own unique ways. I believe that through our distinctive differences every school in the KIAC prepares its student-athletes uniquely to be critical thinkers and life-long learners,and that is our real mission as educators and athletic administrators.