Oct. 6, 2011
SPOKANE, Wash. - Richard R. Hannan, who has been the Commissioner of the Great Northwest Conference since its inception in July, 2001, has announced his resignation.
Western Washington University President Dr. Bruce Shepard, who is the chair of the GNAC CEO Board, indicated a national search would be conducted for Hannan's replacement. It is expected Hannan will continue in his post until a replacement is named.
"At times of transition we naturally think of the dedicated leadership and clear direction that Commissioner Hannan has so consistently provided, not with a sense of loss, for although loss there is, we instead recognize, with genuine thankfulness, we were all the beneficiaries of Richard's effort," Dr. Shepard said.
During Hannan's tenure as Commissioner, he helped develop the GNAC into one of the most successful and highly visible NCAA Division II conferences in the country.
"I am extremely proud of what we have accomplished in the 10 short years we have been together," Hannan said. "Our joint efforts have enabled us to create a strong conference that has been strengthened by our diversity and our willingness to strive for excellence as a united group.
"I am especially proud to be leaving the conference in a financially stable position, including a reserve fund," Hannan added.
Over the past 10 seasons, GNAC teams have earned 53 national Top 10 finishes in 13 different sports including national championships in men's soccer (Seattle University in 2004) and women's soccer (Seattle Pacific in 2008).
GNAC track and field and cross country programs have accounted for 14 of the Top 10 finishes and GNAC basketball teams have advanced to the national semifinals four times topped off by a second-place finish by Seattle Pacific University's women in 2005.
Three other GNAC teams have been national runner-ups during Hannan's tenure including Western Washington University's volleyball squad in 2007, Seattle Pacific's women soccer team in 2005 and the Falcons' women's cross country team in 2007.
Hannan has also overseen the increase of sponsored sports in the conference, which has gone from 12 to 16 with the addition of men's and women's indoor track and field in 2004 and men's and women's golf in 2007-08 and 2010-11, respectively.
Under Hannan's leadership, the conference has also gone international being the first NCAA conference to add a Canadian member with the addition of Simon Fraser University in the fall of 2010.
Football has also seen a growth under Hannan's leadership with the addition of provisional members Humboldt State University and Dixie State College in 2008 and the pending addition of Azusa Pacific University next fall, bringing football membership to six institutions.
Among the Commissioner's other accomplishments was the development of a television package with Root Sports, in which the conference last year became one of the very few Division II leagues nationwide to have a Weekly Basketball Game-of-the-Week televised on a major cable network.
He also brought national recognition to the conference and the region by working with the NCAA and the Spokane Regional Sports Commission to bring the 2011 and 2013 Division II West Regional and National Division II Cross Country championships to Spokane
Hannan has overseen conference championship tournaments or meets in men's and women's basketball, men's and women's golf and men's and women's cross country, indoor track and field and outdoor track and field.
He also has developed strong working relationships with officials and has hired supervisors for the sports of football, volleyball, men's basketball, women's basketball and softball.
Hannan has worked closely over the years with the NCAA helping bring thousands of dollars in grant money to the conference and its members along with providing input to the NCAA concerning its post-season selection process to help improve the process.
"I want to express my appreciation to the CEO Board and Management Council for providing me the opportunity to lead the conference during the past decade," Hannan said. "I am extremely proud of the growth and development of the conference.
"Working together we have developed the GNAC into a quality conference which is one of the best in NCAA Division II."
Hannan, who is a native of Spokane, earned a BA degree in social science in 1963 at Eastern Washington University. He coached basketball at Columbia Basin College for seven years (1967-74) before serving as the athletic director and head basketball coach at Lewis-Clark State between 1974 and 1989.
He later served as the athletic director at Weber State College and at Southwest Texas State University prior to returning to Lewiston as LCSC's interim athletic director before being selected as the first commissioner of the GNAC.
Prior to coaching at the collegiate level, he taught and coached at North Central High School in Spokane between 1963 and 1967.
Hannan and his wife, Nancy, have been married for 50 years. They have three adult children, Gregory, Molly (Akey) and Douglas, and four grandchildren. His son-in-law is University of Idaho head football coach Robb Akey.
