Wake's Wellman is finalist for national AD of the year

Wake Forest Director of Athletics Ron Wellman is one of four nominees for the Street & Smith Sports Business Journal Athletic Director of the Year award, the school announced Thursday.

The winner of the Athletic Director of the Year award will be announced at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in New York City on May 29.

Wellman other finalists are Jeff Hathaway of Arkansas, Lew Perkins of Kansas and Gene Smith of Ohio State.

Wellman was named athletic director in October of 1992, following Gene Hooks.

Wellman has seen Deacon athletic teams rise to national prominence in several sports while perennially competing for Atlantic Coast Conference championships.

In the fall of 2007, the Wake Forest men’s soccer team defeated Ohio State in the College Cup to win its first national championship. The football team is having its most successful stretch in school history, winning 20 games over the past two seasons and earning a pair of bowl bids. The Deacon field hockey team made its eighth consecutive appearance in the final four while the women’s soccer team earned an NCAA Tournament bid for the 12th consecutive season.

Wellman also guided Wake through the stunning death of basketball coach Skip Prosser and named assistant Dino Gaudio as his successor.

Wake is continuing to make ambitious upgrades to its facilities, including in football and baseball.

Born in Celina, Ohio, Wellman earned his undergraduate degree from Bowling Green State University, where he was a pitcher on the baseball team.

After receiving a master’s from Bowling Green, he joined the faculty and coaching staff at Elmhurst (Ill.) College in 1971, serving as head baseball coach, assistant basketball and football coach and associate professor of health and physical education. He compiled a 210-136 record as head baseball coach before leaving to become the head baseball coach at Northwestern. In five seasons with the Wildcats, Wellman’s teams posted a 180-97 record and 15 players signed professional contracts.