Fairfax, Va. -- Retired George Mason Director of Athletics Tom O'Connor has been inducted into the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) Hall of Fame, announced by the organization.
Joining O'Connor in the Hall of Fame Class of 2020 are: Kevin Anderson, United States Military Academy; Bridget Belgiovine, Wellesley College; Bill Fusco, Sonoma State University; Chris Hall, University of Utah, Cheryl Levick, Georgia State University; Joe Tubb, South Plains College.
Tom O'Connor retired June 30, 2014, after 20 years as George Mason's athletic director and 40 years in NCAA Division I athletics.
Under his leadership, the university joined the Atlantic 10 Conference, one of the most competitive in the nation in men's basketball, a move that showcases the strength of the athletic programs and contributions of Mason's talented student-athletes.
A native of Union City, N.J, O'Connor was responsible for building the men's basketball team noted for memorable success in the 2006 NCAA Tournament. That year, the 11th-seeded Patriots stunned the basketball world by reaching the Final Four and finished as the eighth-ranked team in the USA Today/ESPN Coaches Poll.
Mason has had more than 100 NCAA sports postseason appearances, and 23 Patriot student-athletes have claimed 35 individual national championships. This includes NCAA titles in men's indoor track and field (1996). Under O'Connor's leadership, Mason student-athletes have excelled in the classroom. Several Patriots have received National CoSIDA Academic All-America recognition, including men's soccer player Richard Edgar earning First- Team Academic All-American by CoSIDA/ESPN the Magazine in 2009. Chris Looze became the first Mason student-athlete to garner Academic Player of the Year in baseball in 2005.
O'Connor started his career as a high school basketball coach. He later coached at Dartmouth College (1970-74) and Loyola (Md.) College (1974-76) before leaving the bench and taking the top athletic position at Loyola. He would serve as athletic director at Santa Clara University and St. Bonaventure University before coming to George Mason in 1994.
A highly respected leader in college athletics, O'Connor served on several NCAA committees, including the highly visible 10-member NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship Committee, which he chaired during the 2007-08 year. He has held a seat on the prestigious Management Council and was a member of the Division I Strategic Planning Committee and the Selection Review Committee.
O'Connor received the 2015 National Associations of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Guardian of the Game Award, presented to an advocate for the game, that has provided leadership and guidance on issues affecting the basketball community. He was selected as the 2015 ECAC James Lynah Distinguish Award honoree, presented to former ECAC athletic administrators who have achieved outstanding success in their career and have made an unusual contribution in the interest of intercollegiate athletics, the NCAA and the ECAC.
O'Connor is a member of the Assumption College Athletic Hall of Fame and was honored as the recipient of the 2008 Father Louis Dion A.A. '35 Outstanding Achievement Award.
