July 16, 2009

DALLAS, Texas - Nicholls Athletics Director Rob Bernardi was honored with the General Robert R. Neyland Outstanding Athletic Director Award, announced the All-American Football Foundation who presented the awards on Tuesday night.

Beranrdi, now entering his ninth season at the helm of the Colonel Athletic program, received the award along side Central Arkansas' Athletics Director Dr. Brad Teague. Other Southland Athletics Directors have received the honor in the past.

The release from the Southland Conference office is below.

DALLAS, Texas - The All-American Football Foundation will honor numerous individuals from the Southland Conference on Tuesday night during its 100th Banquet of Champions at the Hilton Anatole Hotel.

Brad Wright, coach of 2008 Southland Conference champion Texas State will receive the AAFF's Johnny Vaught Head Coach Award, an honor that has previously been bestowed upon other league coaches such as Clint Conque of Central Arkansas and Todd Whitten of Sam Houston State. David Bailiff, a graduate of and former head coach at Texas State, and now head coach at Rice University, will also receive the Vaught Award.

In addition, Dr. Brad Teague of Central Arkansas and Rob Bernardi of Nicholls State will both be honored with the General Robert R. Neyland Outstanding Athletic Director Award. The honor has previously been bestowed upon other Southland athletic directors such as Greg Burke of Northwestern State, Bobby Williams of Sam Houston State, Lynn Hickey of UTSA, Robert Hill of Stephen F. Austin and Dr. Larry Teis of Texas State.

Bruce Ludlow, Jenny McGhee and Stephanie McDonald of the Southland Conference staff will be presented with the AAFF's Outstanding Associate Commissioner Award.

"We are very pleased that so many well-deserving individuals from the Southland will be honored by the All-American Football Foundation," Southland commissioner Tom Burnett said. "The Foundation does great work in the areas of scholarships and honoring the great traditions of college football and all that serve our great American game."

The prestigious affair will be dedicated to a group of Southwest Conference legends, including D.X. Bible of the University of Texas, Matty Bell of SMU, Jess Neely of Rice, Dutch Meyer of TCU, Homer Norton of Texas A&M and Sammy Baugh of TCU.

The All-American Football Foundation, based in Jackson, Miss., and led by president Jimmie McDowell, serves to promote college football and honors achievement in the sport.

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