Former Virginia AD Jim Copeland To Enter NACDA Hall Of Fame

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CLEVELANDFormer Virginia Athletics Director Jim Copeland is a member of the 2009 Hall of Fame class for the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA). The announcement of NACDA’s 2009 Hall of Fame class was made on Tuesday (May 5).

Copeland was the athletics director at Virginia from September of 1987 until December of 1994. During his career in athletics administration, he also served as athletics director at William and Mary, Utah and Southern Methodist. He is a past president of NACDA.

During Copeland’s tenure as athletics director at UVa, the Cavaliers won five national championships in men’s soccer and two in women’s lacrosse. In addition, the men’s basketball team won the 1992 National Invitation Tournament, the football team played in six bowl games, and Virginia made NCAA Final Four appearances in women’s basketball (three times), men’s lacrosse (twice), women’s lacrosse (twice) and women’s soccer.

A native of Charlottesville, Copeland earned a bachelor’s degree in government from UVa in 1967 and a master’s degree in guidance and counseling in 1976. He was a three-year starter as an offensive lineman on the Virginia football team and was selected in the 10th round of the 1967 NFL draft by the Cleveland Browns. Copeland played for the Browns from 1967-74, appearing in the NFL championship games against the Baltimore Colts in 1968 and the Minnesota Vikings in 1969.

Other members of NACDA’s 2009 Hall of Fame class include Bill Baird (Rhode Island College), Bob Burns (John Brown University), Barbara Hedges (University of Washington), Bobby May (Rice University), Orby Moss, Jr. (Georgia State University), Phil Roach (Rollins College) and Bill Rowe (Missouri State University).

The inductees will receive their awards on June 19 at the Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup Awards Luncheon during NACDA’s annual convention in Orlando, Fla.