CALDWELL, Idaho – Reagan Rossi, Vice President of Athletics at College of Idaho, has been named a 2025-26 Athletics Director of the Year by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), the organization announced Monday.
The award recognizes 28 athletics directors across seven divisions of collegiate athletics for their commitment and positive contributions to student-athletes, campuses and communities. Winners will be honored during the 61st annual NACDA & Affiliates Convention in Las Vegas on June 9.
Rossi earned the recognition following a standout 2024-25 academic year in which the Yotes athletics department experienced success across competition, academics and community engagement. The Vice President is no stranger to this award, as she also brought it home for the 2022-23 school year.
During the 2024-25 year, 10 College of Idaho programs qualified for NAIA national championship events, highlighted by national titles in men's cross country and men's basketball. The Yotes also captured the 2023-24 Cascade Collegiate Conference All-Sports Championship while producing 24 All-Americans across programs. Colleagues across the conference say her leadership style is a driving force behind that competitive consistency. Bushnell University Athletic Director Corey Anderson said, "Reagan is not only a mentor for us all professionally, she does so with a positive attitude and warm greeting that makes everyone in the room feel as important and necessary to the task at hand as the person leading the meeting."
"NACDA is once again proud to recognize an impressive class of Athletics Directors of the Year who are strong, inspiring and innovative in the way they lead and serve others," said Pat Manak, chief executive officer of NACDA.
College of Idaho administrator Austin Basterrechea highlighted the culture Rossi builds within the department, one that focuses on growth and development as much as results.
"She fosters a culture of continuous improvement through regular department meetings and developmental programs that empower her staff to be leaders in their own right." Rossi's leadership also helped drive record fundraising and facility investment during the 2024-25 cycle. Signature fundraising events such as the Go Purple Steak Feed and Clash of the Coyotes generated more than 500,000 dollars combined, contributing to more than $2.5 million in department revenue.
Those efforts supported major facility upgrades across campus, including new turf installations at the football/soccer, baseball and softball facilities, completion of the Christensen/Buffington Hitting Facility, and the installation of a new basketball court and seating upgrades inside Elgin Baylor Arena. Basterrechea added that the department's recent facility enhancements reflect the broader standard of excellence Rossi brings to her work. "Her unwavering dedication to student-athletes, staff, and the community is unmatched… she continually demonstrates an unparalleled commitment to building a culture of excellence."
The department itself also continued to expand under Rossi's leadership, adding beach volleyball and growing to more than 560 student-athletes. Enhancements to the department's live streaming capabilities introduced multi-camera broadcasts across most sports while instant replay was implemented for football and basketball games.
Academically, Yotes student-athletes continued to thrive during the 2024-25 year. The department produced more than 130 NAIA Academic All-Americans and over 160 Cascade Conference Academic All-Conference honorees, while multiple programs earned national academic team recognition.
Community engagement also remained a central pillar of the department's mission. Student-athletes supported initiatives such as Special Olympics and the national bone marrow registry through the Be The Match program, while events including softball's Hidden Opponent Game and men's basketball's Jae Foundation Game raised awareness for student-athlete mental health.
Rossi has also been a prominent leader nationally within collegiate athletics administration. She recently served as the NAIA representative on the NACDA Executive Committee and completed a term as president of the NAIA Athletics Directors Association. She currently serves on the NAIA Women's Volleyball Tournament Selection Committee, the Allstate NACDA Good Works Team Selection Committee, the NAIA National Administrative Council, the NAIA Ethics and Conduct committee, and the NAIA Path Forward Task Force. Cascade Collegiate Conference commissioner Robert Cashell believes Rossi is a phenomenal representation of the NAIA in all of her ventures because her leadership is grounded in a philosophy that consistently centers student well-being. "Every decision that is made is grounded in the question, 'Is it good for students?' Her steadfast support of this philosophy is a large part of the foundation from which she leads."
In the summer of 2025, Rossi was named third vice president of NACDA, becoming the first NAIA administrator selected to the organization's officer rotation and just the third non-NCAA Division I administrator in NACDA's more than 60-year history to hold an officer position.
Rossi's connection to the College of Idaho spans three decades. She first joined the institution in 1995 as an assistant coach for the women's basketball program before returning as head coach in 2001. She later served as the College's Title IX coordinator for 11 years before transitioning into full-time athletics administration in 2014.
The NACDA Athletics Director of the Year program, now in its 28th year, has recognized more than 600 athletics administrators across all levels of collegiate athletics.