CLEVELAND, Ohio - Two former University of Hawai'i athletics directors, Paul Durham and Ray Nagel, are among twenty-two highly-respected athletics administrators selected for induction into the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) Hall of Fame, to be announced tomorrow by NACDA President Tim Curley, director of athletics at Penn State University.
The 2006 Hall of Fame class includes: Merrily Dean Baker, Michigan State University; Marino Casem, Alcorn State University; George Chryst (deceased), University of Wisconsin Platteville; Vin Cullen, Community College of Rhode Island; Bob Dinaberg, Santa Barbara City College; Jack Doyle, University of South Dakota; Paul Durham, Linfield College/University of Hawai`i; Art Eason, William Paterson University; Herb Eisele (deceased); John Carroll University; John Gagliardi, St. John's University (Minn.); Fred Gruninger, Rutgers University; James Houdeshell, University of Findlay; Betty Jaynes, James Madison University; Karol Kahrs, University of Illinois; Don Landry, Nicholls State University; Frank Lignelli, Clarion University; Ron Maestri, University of New Orleans; Ray Nagel, University of Hawai`i; Frank Rienzo, Georgetown University; Bill Steinbrecher, Valparaiso University; Dick Tamburo, Arizona State University; and Charlotte West, Southern Illinois University.
The inductees will be honored at NACDA's 41st Annual Convention, June 20-23. Winners will receive their awards during the U.S. Sports Academy Directors' Cup Luncheon at NACDA's 41st Annual Convention at the New Orleans Marriott and Sheraton New Orleans in New Orleans, La.
Paul Durham, Linfield College, University of Hawai`i
Before becoming the director of athletics at the University of Hawai`i, Paul Durham coached and served as the director of athletics at his alma mater, Linfield College. He was one of the founding fathers of the college's athletics program. As Linfield's football coach for 20 years, he guided the Wildcats to six conference titles, two NAIA championship games and posted a record of 122-51-10. He is ranked second on the college's all-time list for victories. Durham's 1961 team, which was the first undefeated team in college history, was inducted into the Linfield College Hall of Fame in 2005. At one point, Durham was the director of athletics, football coach, a faculty member and sports editor of the News-Register. In the summer, he ran the city recreation program, taught summer school and coached softball. Durham moved to the University of Hawai`i in 1968 as the university's first AD. He grew the university's athletics from a club program to the threshold of Division I and played a major role in moving the Rainbows into the Western Athletic Conference. Although he retired from the athletics department in 1975, Durham continued to teach classes in the College of Education until 1981. He was inducted into Hawai`i's Circle of Honor in 1997 and into Linfield's Sports Hall of Fame in its inaugural year. The foyer into Linfield's athletics complex bears his name. In 1962, he earned the NAIA Coach of the Year and Oregon Man of the Year awards. He was also inducted into the Los Angeles Football College Hall of Fame in 1975. Durham graduated from Linfield College in 1936 and is one of the few student-athletes in college history to earn 10 or more varsity letters.
Ray Nagel, Washington State University, University of Hawai`i
After 20 years as a football coach, Ray Nagel was appointed the director of athletics at Washington State University in 1971. He spearheaded the creation of the Cougar Club, coordinated fund raising and served on the NCAA Football Rules Committee from 1973-76. He moved on to the University of Hawai'i to serve as its director of athletics from 1976-83. He also worked as executive vice president for the Los Angeles Rams, vice president for public relations at the Bank of Hawaii and executive director of the Hula Bowl. He began his career as a graduate assistant football coach at UCLA. He also coached with the Chicago Cardinals and at the University of Oklahoma before becoming the head football coach at the University of Utah for eight seasons. At the age of 29, he was the youngest major college head coach at the time. He then served as the head coach at the University of Iowa for five years. He completed his coaching career with a record of 58-71-2. Nagel earned his bachelor's, master's and law degrees from UCLA. A tailback and quarterback at UCLA, Nagel was named all-West Coast Conference and UCLA's Most Improved Player.
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