SWAC's Lonza Hardy headed to Mississippi Valley State

ITTA BENA, Miss. -- The veteran member of the Southwestern Athletic Conference's staff has been tabbed to become the new director of athletics at Mississippi Valley State University.

Lonza Hardy Jr., the associate commissioner of the SWAC, was approved to succeed long- time MVSU athletics director Charles "Chuck" Prophet by the State College Board at its monthly meeting last week. Hardy, who has primarily handled media relations for the 10-member conference since September 1, 1989, is expected to assume his new position between April 15-20.

In announcing the hiring, university president Dr. Lester C. Newman said that Hardy was picked from among a list of outstanding candidates. He said Hardy's background with the conference, as well as his ability to interact with officials at all levels of the athletics spectrum, including the NCAA, figured prominently in his being selected for the post.

Prior to working at the SWAC office, Hardy enjoyed successful stints as a sports information director at three colleges and universities, including Southern University in Baton Rouge, La. from 1986-89, Alcorn State University in Alcorn State, Miss. from 1980-86 and Albany State College in Albany, Ga. from 1978-80. While at Alcorn State and Southern, he was tabbed SWAC sports information director of the year a total of four times and while at the conference office, several of his publications received national honors. He currently serves on the board of directors for both the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) and the Black College Sports Information Directors Association (BCSIDA).

During his stints at Alcorn State and Southern, Hardy was the key point man on the staff of legendary athletics director Marino H. Casem, assisting the athletics director at various times with a multitude of tasks, including writing proposals and special reports, speech writing, handling the athletic book loan program, coordinating banquets and other special programs and traveling with Casem around the state to meet with various alumni groups. He even drew up the original plans for the Jack Spinks Stadium press box.

At the conference office, Hardy initially held the title of director of publicity but later became the first person in the history of the 80-year-old conference to serve in the role of assistant commissioner. Later, he accomplished another first when he became the league's first-ever associate commissioner.

Hardy's credited with computerizing the conference's statistical operations, upgrading the league's publications, overseeing the introduction of the office to the World Wide Web and creating a professional working relationship with members of the media and the general public at large. During the 1985-96 school year, he was delegated the responsibility to coordinate the conference's year-long celebration of its 75th Anniversary.

A native New Yorker who grew up in North Carolina, Hardy is a 1978 graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Journalism. He said he's eager to help guide Mississippi Valley State's athletics program to greater heights.

"I'm overjoyed by the level of confidence Dr. Newman and his staff have shown in me by selecting me to be their new athletics director," stated Hardy. "In the 21 years that I've been associated with the Southwestern Athletic Conference, I've always thought that Mississippi Valley was a school with vast potential. Now, it's my goal to help the university reach its full potential.

"The greatest joy I've received during my career has been helping to motivate our student- athletes to excel both athletically and academically," added Hardy. "I'm dedicated to injecting a new sense of vitality and enthusiasm into the MVSU athletics program while maintaining the rich traditions which have been developed by my predecessors. I want to see our program develop into a pacesetter for programs its size."

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