Mollie Marcoux Samaan '91 Honored As NACDA Athletics Director Of The Year

Mollie Marcoux Samaan '91, the Ford Family Director of Athletics at Princeton University, has been named a winner of the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) Athletics Director of the Year Award as announced by NACDA. She is one of 28 total recipients across seven divisions (NCAA FBS, FCS, Division I-AAA, II, III, NAIA/Other Four-Year Institutions and Junior College/Community Colleges) and one of four from the FCS level. Winners will be recognized leading up to and in conjunction with the 2021 NACDA & Affiliates Virtual Convention, July 27-28.

"As we reflect upon all that has happened in our industry and in our world over the past year in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is more important than ever to honor the dedication and passion that NACDA athletics directors have for their student-athletes, institutions and campus communities," said Bob Vecchione, NACDA Chief Executive Officer. "This year we certainly could recognize every AD in the country with this award. We applaud the efforts of the men and women across the country who have served as a source of inspiration and strength in leading their departments through this unprecedented time."

The ADOY Award highlights the efforts of athletics directors at all levels for their commitment and positive contributions to student-athletes, campuses and their surrounding communities.

"The past year has been challenging for all associated with collegiate athletics, like it has for so many others," said Marcoux Samaan. "We've been forced to adjust and adapt in so many unique ways. I'm honored to accept this award as an acknowledgment of the way our student-athletes, coaches and staff have responded to a very hard situation and have continued to focus on our values and on rallying together. Specifically, I am so proud of how our coaches and administrators have continued to invest in the growth of our remarkable student-athletes and how our student-athletes have responded to adversity at every turn. We have an incredible team."

In her seventh year as Director of Athletics, Marcoux Samaan has overseen a department that has won 65 Ivy League championships, a total that is more than all other Ivy schools during that time. Princeton reached double figures in Ivy League championships in each of her first five years before winning a league-best six in the shortened 2019-20 year that saw no spring championships awarded, and has been the highest ranked Ivy League school in the Directors' Cup standings, measuring overall athletic success through NCAA championship participation and success. Of the 37 Princeton varsity teams, a total of 27 have won at least one league championship during her tenure.

Marcoux Samaan has taken the lead in the promotion of the optimal performance of the University's nearly 1,000 varsity athletes each year, putting in place programs that enable them to reach their fullest potential as athletes, students and citizens. During the 2020-21 school year, Marcoux Samaan has co-chaired Princeton Athletics' roll out of Tigers Together, a comprehensive action plan to create and maintain a culture of mutual respect and unity and to use the Tigers' platforms to combat bias based on gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, race and all other marginalized identities. Marcoux Samaan has co-chaired an Executive Committee featuring 20 Princeton student-athletes, coaches, alumni, administrators and University staff who have met regularly since June starting with task forces focused first on diversity, equity, and inclusion, and in particular, the experiences of student-athletes and staff of color.

Marcoux Samaan has continued to be committed to the well-rounded experience of the student-athlete that is summed up by her departmental motto of "Achieve, Serve, Lead" while also crafting and implementing an unwavering department-wide commitment to a well-defined series of values known as the "Be A Tiger" performance model..

In December of 2020, Marcoux Samaan and the Princeton Varsity Club endeavored to rally Princeton's passionate alumni base around Tiger Athletics Give Day (TAGD). A best-in-class yearly fundraising initiative, the Tigers proved they were "Stronger Together" with a record 6,026 donors raising $3,246,339 in a 24-hour period to support Princeton's student-athletes. During the 2020-21 school year, Princeton Athletics has also announced three new head coaching endowments in support of the basketball, lacrosse and soccer programs, bringing Princeton's total staff position endowments to 15. In addition, The Chi Family Fund for Excellence and Inclusion was announced with a directive to provide vital support to the athletic department in several key areas related to excellence and inclusion. Recently, the Performance Endowment Fund was created through a gift from an anonymous donor to support increased staffing in Princeton Tiger Performance.

In addition to working closely with the University on the development of new large-scale athletic facilities within its Campus Planning process, she has overseen numerous facility projects, including the installation of a "bubble" over Powers Field at Princeton Stadium for the winter months, videoboards at Jadwin Gym and Class of 1952 Stadium that have completely upgraded the in-game experience, the renovation of the Jadwin Gym lobby to showcase the overwhelming history and success of Princeton Athletics, a new team meeting room complex and the construction of the state-of-the-art Levine Broadcast Center to revolutionize the department's multimedia efforts. Recently announced projects include construction of a new softball field as well as new homes for the soccer, tennis and squash programs as part of Princeton's Lake Campus renovation plan.

One of Princeton's all-time great female student-athletes, Marcoux Samaan has passionately championed the history of women's sports at the University during 2020-21's celebration highlighting 50 Years of Women's Athletics. She serves as co-host of "The First 50" -- a podcast series sharing impactful stories from a half-century of life-changing dominance from Princeton's female athletes.

Marcoux Samaan graduated cum laude from Princeton in 1991 after majoring in history and writing her thesis on the history of women in sports from 1895 to 1946. She was a two-sport varsity athlete, earning four letters each in soccer and ice hockey. As a varsity ice hockey player, she was named Ivy League Rookie of the Year in 1988, earned first-team All-Ivy honors four times, was named the team's most valuable player three times, was elected team captain her senior year, was a first team All-Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference (ECAC) selection and a member of the ECAC team of the decade, and in 1999 she was named to the Ivy League's silver anniversary ice hockey team. When she graduated she was Princeton's all-time leading scorer and she still ranks first in most goals in a season with 35. She also earned second-team All-Ivy honors in soccer in 1987. As a senior Marcoux Samaan was awarded the C. Otto von Kienbusch Sportswoman of the Year Award for "high scholastic rank, sportsmanship and general excellence in athletics" and the Patty Kazmaier Award as the member of the ice hockey team who made the greatest contribution to the program and exemplified such characteristics as "loyalty …, determination and perseverance under adverse conditions."

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