-

General

Northern Kentucky University to Honor Former Coach and Longtime Athletics Director Jane Meier

Meier became one of the first female athletics directors in the country, and the first in school history in 1988.

Northern Kentucky University has announced that former coach and longtime athletics director, Jane Meier, will be honored with a banner inside Truist Arena memorializing her contributions to Norse Athletics during her career, which spanned 31 years.

Meier was named the head women's volleyball coach in 1978, and was later named head coach of both the softball and women's basketball teams.  As a coach, she led the volleyball program to the 1981 NCAA Division II tournament, and later the Great Lakes Valley Conference championship in 1985 - the first GLVC title in school history in any sport.

After a successful coaching career, Meier was named athletics director in 1988.  Under her leadership, NKU experienced tremendous success. The Norse captured two NCAA Division II National Championships, 20 regional titles, and 61 GLVC regular-season or tournament championships, while making 76 NCAA tournament appearances, including 13 NCAA Division II Final Four appearances during her 21-year career.
Meier also helped transform the landscape of the Northern Kentucky University campus, as four new athletics facilities were constructed during her tenure, highlighted by The Bank of Kentucky Center (now Truist Arena) in November 2008, along with NKU Soccer Stadium, Frank Ignatius Grein Softball Field, and the Joyce E. Yeager Tennis Complex.

Student-athletes also excelled in the classroom during Meier's tenure. The Norse produced 11 postgraduate scholarship winners, and 24 student-athletes were named Scholar-Athlete of the Year in their respective sports.  Additionally, two student-athletes were named NCAA Today's Top VIII Award winners.

Meier was also influential nationally, as she was selected to serve on a variety of NCAA committees, including volleyball (regionally and nationally), basketball (regionally and nationally), Nominating, DII President's Council Media Advisory Group, and the Executive Committee Membership Group.

During her illustrious career, Meier was bestowed with numerous accolades, including being named Southeast Region Athletics Director of the Year by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) in 2003-04, 2004 DII Administrator of the Year by the National Association of Collegiate Women Athletic Administrators (NACWAA), 2011 Lifetime Achievement Award Winner by Division II Athletics Directors Association (D2 ADA), and was named to the David Lee Holt NKU Hall of Fame in 2011, The GLVC Hall of Fame in 2012, and the NACDA Hall of Fame in 2016.  In addition, she has also been inducted into the Villa Madonna Academy, Greater Cincinnati Basketball, Northern Kentucky High School Athletics Directors Hall of Fames.

Since her retirement in 2009, Jane has enjoyed spending time with her husband, Steve Meier, a longtime NKU employee, her son Matt, his wife Alison, and her grandchildren, Calvin and Alexis.

Meier will be honored with a banner in both Truist Arena and Regents Hall, with the banner in Truist Arena to be unveiled prior to the men's basketball game versus Oakland on January 11.
 
What they're saying about Jane Meier:
"Congratulations to Jane Meier on this well-deserved honor!  She was the driving force for many years for our NKU athletics programs.  The Northern Kentucky community and NKU owe her a huge amount of gratitude for her many years of loyalty and service."
Nancy Winstel, Former Head Coach - Women's Basketball (1983-2012); David Lee Holt NKU Hall of Fame Class of 2013
 
"We are thrilled Jane's impact on this athletic department and university is being commemorated. Jane was one of the first female athletic directors in the country. She was integral in providing opportunities for athletic staff, coaches, and student-athletes. As a student-athlete and young coach during her tenure, she provided strong leadership and continuous support. Under Jane's leadership, this program became a community.  It's impossible to think of how far NKU Athletics has come, without thinking of Jane Meier and her legacy."
Liz Hart, Head Coach - Women's Volleyball

"There's no one more deserving of this honor than Jane. She is a pillar and a legend of our Northern Kentucky University community.  She was and continues to be a positive role model for myself and so many others in Norse Nation.  Congratulations and thank you for having such a positive impact!"
Dizzy Peyton, Head Coach - Baseball
Print Friendly Version