(Story taken from Univeristy of Dallas Athletics Communication)
IRVING, Texas - Dick Strockbine, the University of Dallas Athletics Director since 1995, announced he will be retiring on 1 July 2021. With his hire UD underwent some major changes starting with an affiliation change from NAIA to NCAA Division III as well as conference changes from the Texas Intercollegiate Athletic Association and American Southwest Conference to independent status, a brief time in the North Eastern Athletic Conference and to their current home in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference. While an independent he was a prime mover in the establishment of the Association of Division III Independents and served as the president of the association for nine years.
Internal changes he wrought resulted in adding the sports of men’s and women’s cross country, men’s and women’s lacrosse, women’s soccer, softball and men’s and women’s track and in so doing increased the number of student-athletes from 79 to a high of 289 in 2018-19. In addition, new playing fields were built for baseball, softball and lacrosse while the soccer field and the Maher Center were upgraded and eventually lacrosse and soccer fields were reversed to support upgrades that included lights for a new soccer facility.
He was selected for a four year term on the Division III Management Council in 2003 which resulted in assignments with the Olympic Sports Liaison Committee, Membership Committee, Championships Committee, Nominating Committee and as Chair of the Playing and Practice Seasons sub-Committee. He was instrumental in legislative changes that resulted in permitting student-athletes to self-release to other institutions and in having games played against Division III schools within the same geographic region to count as in region games for championship selection purposes.
During this twenty five years plus UD athletic teams have won 13 championships with six teams and two individuals qualifying for NCAA tournaments/championships. Further, the department staff went from four to 18 full time employees that included the addition of athletics training and sports information personnel.
Strockbine is also credited with the startup of the UD Student Athlete Advisory Committee and the establishment of the UD Athletics Hall of Fame.
At 80 years of age it is believed he is the oldest active AD in Division III.
