Saint Leo University Vice President and Director of Athletics Fran Reidy announced May 9 he will retire from his position after more than 35 years, the institution said in a news release.
Reidy, who led the Saint Leo Lions to win 30 Sunshine State Conference championships, earn two national championships and make 125 NCAA Division II championship appearances, will leave the university in August.
“I am extremely proud of all that Saint Leo Athletics achieved during my tenure,” Reidy said in the statement. “For over three decades, I never had a job, but a daily adventure. I would get excited each time I drove through the entrance and onto campus.”
Reidy became Director of Athletics in 1999, when the Lions had gone nearly 30 years with no conference championship wins and many sports were in the bottom of the Sunshine State Conference, the release said.
According to the release, Reidy has been recognized three times as the Under Armour National Athletic Director of the Year and honored as men’s soccer coach of the year two times by the Sunshine State Conference. Reidy is the all-time winningest coach in Saint Leo men’s soccer history with 139 wins.
Reidy’s contributions to intercollegiate athletics also include serving as president of the Division II Athletic Director’s Association; the NCAA Championships Committee, with one year of service as chair; and the NCAA Men’s Basketball Committee, which he also chaired for a year. He also made valuable contributions to the Sunshine State Conference.
Published May 17, 2023
