Legendary AD Larry Marfise Honored with D2 CCA Meritorious Service Award
CLEVELAND - The Division 2 Conference Commissioners Association (D2 CCA) has announced its D2 CCA Meritorious Service award recipients, including longtime University of Tampa Director of Athletics Larry Marfise among its six honorees.
Marfise, who retired in November of 2025 following 26 years at Tampa, is joined by Sallie Beard, Dave Brunk, Dr. Sandra Jordan, Dr. Steve Scott, and Kim Vinson as recipients.
The D2 CCA Meritorious Service Award recognizes a commissioner with ten years of service once he/she leaves the position for the time and dedication they have made to Division II, and is decided by the full CCA membership upon recommendation by the Awards Committee. In addition, other individuals, including but not limited to conference office staff, institutional staff members, or NCAA staff members, are also eligible to be recognized with this award. The intent is to recognize these individuals once they retire or depart Division II; however, if an individual goes above and beyond in service to Division II, in particular, the CCA, they may be recognized even if they are still employed at a Division II conference office or institution.
Larry Marfise recently retired after 26 years as director of athletics at the University of Tampa, closing one of the most successful administrative tenures in NCAA Division II history. Under his leadership, Tampa became a nationally recognized powerhouse, consistently placing among the top 30 in the NCAA Division II Learfield Directors' Cup standings and capturing a total of 15 NCAA Division II national championships as well as five AVCA Small College Beach Volleyball titles. His first championship came in 2001 with men's soccer, followed by multiple titles in baseball, volleyball, and women's soccer. Tampa baseball also secured the 2025 national championship, becoming the all-time NCAA Division II leader in baseball national titles during his tenure.
Beyond competitive success, Marfise oversaw significant growth in facilities, including new venues for lacrosse, soccer, beach volleyball, and baseball, along with major renovations to the weight room, locker rooms, and multiple sport complexes. He also advanced departmental stability through the creation of four new athletic endowments and implemented professional development initiatives for coaches and staff. His commitment to gender equity resulted in increased women's sport sponsorship and expanded participation opportunities.
Marfise has been a respected voice in NCAA governance, serving on committees including the NCAA Division II Management Council, Legislative Oversight Committee, Honors Committee (chair), NCAA Baseball Rules Committee, and the Division II Membership Committee. Prior to Tampa, he held leadership positions across divisions I and II.
His contributions have earned national recognition, including the 2008 NACDA Southeast Region AstroTurf Athletic Director of the Year Award and induction into the DePauw University Athletics Hall of Fame in 2013. Marfise remains active in the Tampa community through service roles with the Tampa Chamber of Commerce Sports Committee, the Outback Bowl Board, Tampa Sports Authority Advisory Board, and the Tampa Downtown Rotary.
Other honorees are listed below.
Sallie Beard, Missouri Southern State University
Sallie Beard served as both coach and athletics director at Missouri Southern State University for 37 years, starting the women's athletics program when she created and coached the first women's basketball, softball and tennis teams in 1974. Two years later, she added the women's track and field program. Beard served as the women's athletics director for 25 years before being named the AD for both the men's and women's programs in 2001, making her the first woman in the MIAA to serve in that capacity.
Nationally, Beard served numerous NCAA Division II committees, including the Division II Management Council, as well as on the Association-wide Committee on Women's Athletics. From 1999 to 2001, she served as MIAA president, the first athletics director to be chosen for that position. Beard was inducted into the inaugural MIAA Hall of Fame class in 2010 and the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in 2017. In 2014, she received the Nike Lifetime Achievement Award from Women Leaders in Sports. Beard was one of two MIAA representatives selected to the the NCAA Division II Gold Award, recognizing one male and one female administrator or coach in each Division II conference who have made a lasting and positive impact in Division II. This award was part of the yearlong celebration of the division's 50th anniversary.
Beyond her campus leadership, Beard also had a major role in updating Title IX language at Missouri Southern. A little-known fact is that Beard has had a tremendous influence on all women's sports by authoring interpretive Title IX language, which created a definition of sport (requiring structured schedules, standardized scoring, and so forth). The Office of Civil Rights uses this definition still today to determine the Title IX status of such activities as cheerleading, dance, shooting, equestrian, etc. Sallie Beard is a champion, a leader, and a legend in Division II.
Dave Brunk, Former Commissioner Peach Belt Conference and Northeast 10 Conference
In a career spanning more than 40 years in collegiate athletics, there has been no bigger supporter of NCAA Division II than Dave Brunk.
After working at the NCAA National Office for eight years, Brunk became the first full-time commissioner of the Northeast-10 Conference in 1998 and retired in 2025 after his 18th year as commissioner of the Peach Belt Conference. Brunk's leadership resulted in many exciting changes for the league. He established a highly successful corporate partner program, led the PBC to new endeavors in community engagement, outreach and charitable giving and initiated a rebranding campaign for the conference among the countless other initiatives designed to benefit the student-athletes and membership. Brunk oversaw a restructuring of the league's championship formats and established several new championship sport offerings, enhancing the experience of PBC student-athletes.
Brunk provided visionary leadership as the PBC became the first NCAA conference at any level to hold an Esports championship, the first to enter a women's basketball officiating consortium with a power 5 conference and the first to partner with Battlefield2Ballfields, giving veterans and active duty military personnel a gateway into officiating. Brunk's tenure saw the Peach Belt expand from 12 to 18 championship sport offerings and included the addition of two new schools to the NCAA Division II ranks. The Peach Belt was the first conference office to host an NCAA national championship (2012 and 2013 men's and women's soccer) without institutional support, the first to begin bat testing in softball and baseball before they became NCAA requirements and the first to begin conference- wide video streaming in 2010.
His commitment to the student-athlete both during their playing career and beyond led to the creation of the Women in Athletics Seminar, the PBC Career Forum and a complete re-imagination of the league's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.
His service extended beyond the reach of the Peach Belt. He served as chair of the Division II Management Council, Nominating and Membership Committees and served on 10-plus other NCAA committees/subcommittees. He has also been president of the DII Conference Commissioners Association and served locally on the boards of the YMCA and Augusta Sports Council.
Dr. Sandra Jordan, Chancellor University of South Carolina Aiken (USCA)
Dr. Sandra Jordan served in significant leadership roles within the NCAA and DII during her career- Chair, NCAA Division II President's Council; Vice-Chair, NCAA Board of Governors, 2019-2021; Chair, NCAA DII Planning & Finance Committee, 2018-2021; Chair, Peach Belt Conference, Board of Directors; and Member, NCAA Committee on Sexual Violence Prevention
In addition to her term as chair of the Peach Belt Conference Board of Directors, Dr. Jordan was vice chair of the NCAA Board of Governors during the COVID-19 pandemic, providing steady leadership during an unprecedented crisis in collegiate athletics. As a member of the NCAA's highest governing body, she played a critical role in guiding national policy decisions related to health and safety, eligibility, and the financial challenges facing institutions and student-athletes. Her voice helped ensure that Division II priorities remained central to the NCAA's response, contributing to a balanced and thoughtful approach during a time of significant uncertainty. Dr. Jordan's long and distinguished career spanned several decades and included stops at a number of Division II institutions.
Even after her retirement as Chancellor of USCA, she continues to serve higher education as the Chief of Staff and Vice President of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).
Dr. Steve Scott, Pittsburg State University
President Steve Scott, an alumnus of Pittsburg State University, served as the ninth President at his alma mater from 2009-2021. For the past three decades, Dr. Scott has served the university in every leadership capacity possible: as a faculty member in the College of Education, chair of the Department of Special Services and Leadership Studies, dean of the College of Education, vice president for Academic Affairs, and as the University's provost.
During Dr. Scott's tenure as President, the campus saw some of the most ambitious building projects in its history, including the funding and completion of the Bicknell Family Center for the Arts, Block22 mixed use district, the Plaster Indoor Athletics Center, and the expansion of the Overman Student Center. Beyond his service to Pittsburg State, Dr. Scott held seats on numerous regional and national councils and boards, including serving as a member (2012 - 2016) and chair (2016) of the NCAA Division II Presidents Council, and as the chair of the MIAA CEO Council (2019-2021). During his time leading the MIAA CEO Council, Dr. Scott helped the Association navigate the issues and challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, and he helped implement numerous health and safety league-wide protocols to allow the MIAA to be one of the first NCAA conferences to return to practice and competition in the fall of 2020.
Dr. Scott lived a life of purpose, and he was committed to serving others and was a respected leader in intercollegiate athletics. His understanding of the role and purpose of intercollegiate athletics and his unrivaled enthusiasm for the student-athlete experience provided opportunities for athletics service and his eventual election to leadership roles for both the NCAA and the MIAA. Dr. Scott was committed to the principles outlined in "Life in the Balance."
Kim Vinson, Cameron University
Kim Vinson dedicated 35 years of her professional career to Cameron University Athletics, serving as the head volleyball coach from 1990 to 2005 and the head softball coach from 1990 to 1996, and then as the department's associate director of athletics, director of NCAA Compliance, and SWA until her well-deserved retirement in November 2024. As an administrator, Vinson left an indelible mark on the department, developing and leading its NCAA compliance program with a strong commitment to integrity and gender equity. As the department's SWA, Vinson promoted women's representation in college sports leadership and management and also served on multiple committees at the conference and national levels.
In 15 seasons leading the Cameron volleyball program, she won 271 matches and posted 12 winning seasons, including 11 winning seasons in a row, four Lone Star Conference North Division titles, 10 Lone Star Conference tournament appearances, and the 1998 Lone Star Conference championship, a 3-2 win over West Texas A&M - and the only conference championship in the program's history. Vinson also guided the volleyball team to the 1998 and 2001 NCAA Division II Southwest Regionals.
Vinson was a true leader, an advocate for student-athletes, and a champion for women's representation within the NCAA Division II governance structure. During her career, she represented the LSC on the NCAA Division II Management Council, the Division II Championships Committee, the Division II Legislation Committee, and the Division II Student-Athlete Reinstatement Committee.
About D2 CCA: Initiated in 1992 to promote its member conferences and institutions, D2 CCA has made its mark in providing a united front for NCAA Division II athletics. Created after the break-up of the College Division Commissioners Association, the D2 CCA continues to create lines of communication and opportunities for its member conferences. The D2 CCA is administered by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), which is in its 59th year. For more information on NACDA and the 18 professional associations that fall under its umbrella, please visit www.nacda.com.