Hall of Fame
For 20 years, Kevin McHugh was the face of The College of New Jersey athletic program that ranked as one of the most successful programs in Division III collegiate athletics.
McHugh served as the Director of Athletics at the College from 1987 to 2007 and was at the helm of a program that garnered 28 NCAA Division III National Championships, with 22 national runner-up titles. The first of those titles came in spring of 1988 with the women’s lacrosse team capturing the crown, while that same programwon the final title during his tenure in 2006.
In each of his last 12 seasons at the College, the Lions ranked in the top 10 of the Learfield Sports Director’s Cup, which ranks the top athletic programs in the country. That program started in the 1995-96 season and the College finished fourth overall. The best finish the College produced was second, a feat they accomplished three times, and also added five straight third-place finishes.
In 2005, McHugh was named one of the 25 winners of the 2004-2005 GeneralSports TURF Systems Athletic Directors of the Year Award as chosen by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA). In addition to his AD of the Year honor, McHugh was also named to the NACDA Executive Committee as well in 2005.
Not only did the intercollegiate programs enjoy success on the field, McHugh served as a driving force in bringing countless NCAA championship events to Ewing. During his tenure, the College hosted NCAA national championships in wrestling, women’s lacrosse for Division I and III, softball, men’s soccer, field hockey, and women’s tennis.
From 1994-1997, he served as the chair of the NCAA Division I Wrestling Committee after serving as a Division III representative on the Wrestling Committee the previous two years. At the 1999 NCAA Division III Wrestling Championships, he was inducted into the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Division III Wrestling Hall of Fame as a contributor to the sport.
In January of 2005, McHugh was selected to join the NCAA Division III Management Council and filled an interim vacancy. McHugh fulfilled the remaining year of the vacated term and was then reelected for a full four-year term.
His contribution to the College is still evident today as both the soccer complex and the recently-named Dr. June Walker Field were completed in 2006.
He currently is the Director of Athletics and chair of the Department of Physical Education at Bates College (Lewiston, ME) and has held that post since 2007. This past year he oversaw a Bobcat program that elevated to 38th in the 2012-13 Division III Learfield Sports Directors' Cup.
McHugh, a native of Wharton, NJ, is a 1978 graduate of Columbia University, where he starred four years as a varsity wrestler. He twice served as team captain and was named All-Ivy League on two occasions as a 134-pound grappler. McHugh went on to graduate study at the University of Massachusetts. While at UMass, he served as an assistant coach for the wrestling team and as a junior varsity coach for football.
He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Latin American Studies from Columbia. At the University of Massachusetts, he earned a Master of Science degree in Sport Management.
