After a very successful 2024-25 athletics season for MNU, Todd Garrett was named Conference Athletic Director of the Year by the Heart of America Athletic Conference yesterday. This is the second year in a row Garrett has received the honor. The Pioneer athletics department celebrated multiple conference titles and national appearances in the 2024-25 season and was awarded its second consecutive Commissioners Cup, given to the most successful department in the conference, with Garrett leading the way.
“It is quite humbling to be recognized by my peers in the Heart of America Athletic Conference as the 2024-25 Athletic Director of the year,” said Garrett. “What a tremendous group of athletic directors and skilled leaders whom I have had the privilege of working alongside, growing the footprint of the Heart Conference as well as seeking to make a positive impact in our respective institutions.
This recognition is a reflection of the tremendous coaches and student athletes who represent MNU and our athletics department in and out of the competitive landscape of intercollegiate athletics. What an honor it is to work with and for one of the most talented groups of coaches and administrators in the industry. Their investment in me and our department has garnered this award on my behalf.”
As athletic director, Garrett began rebuilding in December 2016 by steadily increasing the enrollment of high-quality student-athletes and hiring coaches who fit the university’s mission. He continued building the program by developing a championship environment and securing the university’s first-ever conference Commissioner’s Cup and Athletic Director of the Year title in 2024, a year that included the 2023 NAIA national championship in men’s soccer. He culminated the rebuild in 2025 by earning a second consecutive Commissioner’s Cup and ADOY title, as well as completing renovation of Land Gymnasium into a full-fledged sports performance center and bringing football, track and cross country back on campus via the new Copeland Athletic Complex.
On July 1, Garrett assumed the role of vice president for university advancement & athletics at MNU. Last week, he announced that Head Baseball Coach Ryan Thompson would take over as the new director of athletics.
