Mike Alden

Position: Director of Athletics

Mike Alden has been at the helm of Missouri athletics since 1998 and it's no shock his tenure has produced the most comprehensive run of athletic and academic success in school history.

A former student-athlete, coach and current President of the Division 1A Athletic Directors Association with family roots in Central Missouri, Alden took charge at Mizzou in 1998 at a time when the school ranked near the bottom of the league in on-field success, facility development and fund-raising. Since beginning his 13-year stint in Columbia however, Alden has seen several programs rise to the level of national championship contenders, highlighted by conference championships in football, men's basketball, soccer and softball the past two seasons and the gymnastics program's first-ever NCAA Regional title in 2010.

The 2010 academic year saw Missouri once again remain prominent on the national landscape as the Tiger Football program qualified for its sixth consecutive bowl game, softball advanced to the Women's College World Series for the second year in-a-row, basketball advanced in the NCAA Tournament and soccer claimed yet another Big 12 title. In fact, of Missouri's 20 intercollegiate sports, 15 moved on to postseason play and nationally-known rivalries with Kansas and Illinois were dominated by the Tigers.

Competitive excellence just begins to tell the story of Alden's impact at Mizzou. Named the NACDA Athletics Director of the Year in 2008, Alden has developed into one of the nation's most revered administrators during his time in Columbia. He is currently the third-longest tenured Athletics Director in Mizzou history behind only Don Faurot and Chester Brewer.

Alden has incorporated three core values into the mission of intercollegiate athletics at Missouri. The mission statement of "Preparing Champions for Life through Academic Integrity, Social Responsibility and Competitive Excellence" has guided Missouri in becoming one of America's most well-regarded and visible athletics programs.

Missouri routinely ranked among league leaders in graduation and Academic Progress Rates, while the overall health of MU's athletics programs is at an all-time high. The Tigers ranked as the nation's leader among BCS public institutions in Academic Progress Rate in 2008 and has consistently ranked in the Top 25 nationally, alongside the likes of Harvard, Yale and Stanford for overall APR success among all Division I programs. Mizzou has also led the Big 12 Conference in Academic Progress Rates four of the past five years and numerous sport programs have received academic recognition from the NCAA.

Socially, Missouri student-athletes have seen tremendous growth, from coach and student-athlete involvement with Big Brothers-Big Sisters and the Central Missouri Humane Society, to local children's hospitals and Habitat for Humanity. Missouri Athletics not only makes an impact on the playing fields, but in the lives of the community it serves. In addition, Mizzou Athletics is heavily involved in the United Way and prides itself on having 100% involvement from its department each fall.

Athletically, it's hard to argue Mizzou's advancement on the national scene. The Tigers saw 15-of-20 sports qualify for postseason competition during 2009-10, highlighted by league championships, NCAA postseason success and All-America award winners. While Missouri set a school record with eight teams finishing among the Top 25 of their respective sports in 2009, Mizzou has enjoyed 63 Top 25 team finishes at NCAA Championships under Alden's watch (an average of 5.3 per year). Prior to his arrival, the most Top 25 finishes for Missouri in a single season was just three.

Alden's legacy will transcend his program's consistent success in the classroom, socially and in competition. Upon his appointment as Director of Athletics in 1998, Missouri faced an uncertain future as it entered the Big 12 Conference era. Competing with an annual budget of just $13.7 million at the time of his arrival, Alden has grown Missouri's operating fortunes to a record $65 million and has added state-of-the art facilities and amenities at nearly every venue in the Sports Park at Mizzou. Overall, Alden has helped lead a record $165.2 million facility resurgence for MU athletics since his arrival just 12 years ago.

Highly regarded by his peers, Alden's success at Missouri has earned him national notoriety amongst the NCAA hierarchy. He has helped to drive policy that has not only shaped the current landscape of intercollegiate athletics, but has paved the way for the future growth of college sports as a whole.

A few of Alden's NCAA leadership committees include:

• NCAA Leadership Council (Chair)
• Division I Athletic Directors Association Board of Directors (Immediate Past President)
• National Association of College Directors of Athletics (Vice President)
• NCAA Management Council
• NCAA Championship/Competition Cabinet
• NCAA Oversight and Monitoring Group

Alden and his family have also been heavily involved in the Columbia community, working with local figures to help improve the lives of area residents through their involvement with the Alzheimer's Association, Central Missouri Food Bank, The Shelter (now known as True North), the United Way, Salvation Army, Nora Stewart Early Learning Center and the Commerce Bank Board of Directors. Alden has also personally raised more than $100,000 the last 10 years for the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

Alden holds strong ties to central Missouri. His family tree has been rooted on his family farm in Williamsburg, Mo., some 35 miles east of Columbia. His mother lives in Williamsburg, while his brother (John) is a physician in Lamar, Mo. (Barton County). Several relatives reside in and around Columbia and Kansas City, including his nephew (Michael) who will be a sophomore at Missouri Southern this fall. His uncle, Jack, was a pipefitter in the building of the Hearnes Center and his cousin, Todd, was a pipefitter in the construction of both Mizzou Arena and the Devine Pavilion.

Alden and his wife, Roxanne (Rockie), have a son, Jake (15) who is in the 10th grade at Rock Bridge High School in Columbia.