Charlotte 49ers Director of Athletics Judy Rose is one of the most successful and well-respected athletics directors in the nation.

At the time of her appointment, she was just the third female to be put in charge of a Division I program. In 1999-2000, she became the first female to serve on the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Committee.

At Charlotte, she has overseen the 49ers' moves from the Sun Belt Conference to the Metro Conference and ultimately to Conference USA. She has helped raise monies for new athletic facilities, including the Barnhardt Student Activity Center (Halton Arena), the Irwin Belk Track and Field Center (Transamerica Field) and the Wachovia Fieldhouse. She has been instrumental in attracting national sports events to Charlotte, including the 1994 Men's Final Four, the 1996 women's Final Four, the AAU Junior Olympics and the 1999 and 2000 NCAA Men's Soccer College Cup.

And at the same time, it has been under her leadership that the 49ers athletics program has enjoyed its most success. From the men's basketball program's five NCAA bids in the '90s, to men's soccer's five bids, including a trip to the national semifinals. From baseball's first-ever NCAA bids to the first individual NCAA qualifiers in indoor and outdoor track and field and cross country. From first-ever conference championships in men's golf to first-ever league titles in women's soccer. In the decade of the nineties, eight of the school's 12 programs have either won league titles or been represented in NCAA play, or both. In addition, the '90s saw the addition of women's soccer and men's and women's track and field to the 49ers athletic roster.

Along the way, Rose has reaped her share of awards, including the Pegasus Award in 1999, the 1996 Bob Quincy Award by the Charlotte Sportsman Club, and the 1996 Charlotte Regional Sports Commission "Sixth-Man" Award for city-wide athletic achievement. She was selected the 1996 Woman of the Year in Charlotte and was named the 1997 Citizen of the Year by the University Chamber of Commerce. In 1986, she became the first female inducted to the Blacksburg (S.C.) Hall of Fame and she received her 20-Year Service Award from the university in 1995.

THERE FROM THE START
Chancellor Jim Woodward appointed Judy Rose director of athletics at UNC Charlotte, July 1, 1990. But Rose's commitment to Charlotte's athletic program started well before that.

Rose joined the program in 1975 as women's basketball and tennis coach. She was promoted to assistant athletic director in 1981 and was named associate director of athletics in 1985 as chief administrator to then-athletic director and men's basketball coach Jeff Mullins. In 1990, Mullins was asked by the UNC Board of Governors to relinquish his dual role. Upon that recommendation, Dr. Woodward promoted Mullins to Associate Vice Chancellor/men's basketball coach and Rose was named director of athletics.

Rose became the sixth person to head the athletics department and is the second individual at Charlotte who was not also men's basketball coach to become the department's CEO. She was the third woman, ever, to spearhead a collegiate program.

SINCE THEN
In her first year as director, the program left the Sun Belt Conference and joined the Metro Conference, the athletic department's D.L. Phillips Athletic Complex, home of the varsity baseball, soccer and softball fields, underwent dramatic change, and plans were finalized for the James H. Barnhardt Student Activity Center and Dale F. Halton Arena.

The athletic program received a construction facelift as two major projects were unveiled in 1994. By 1996, the 49ers had the $5.7 million Irwin Belk Track & Field Center: a 4,000-seat stadium complex which includes a 400-meter track, Transamerica Field for soccer and 11,000-square feet in field house space. Tennis courts were relocated to make a 15-court venue in the Phillips Complex. The Wachovia Athletic Field House, a 10,000-square foot locker room and office complex for baseball, men's soccer, women's soccer and softball was opened, October, 1994.

The multi-purpose $26 million Barnhardt Student Activity Center and the 9,105-seat Halton Arena hosted its first athletic contest, December 2,1996. Rose attracted the largest gift in Charlotte history in naming the Barnhardt Center and a second substantial gift in naming Halton Arena.

The Barnhardt Center is the home of the men's and women's basketball programs and women's volleyball. It houses the offices of athletics administration, varsity locker rooms, intramural playing space, a jogging track, two weight rooms, an aerobic center and a magnificent game room and video arcade.

From July 1993-96, UNC Charlotte athletics received monetary gifts that totalled a record $15 million-plus.

In 1995, Rose and Dr. Woodward led Charlotte into a newly formed Division I-A league, Conference USA.

Rose coordinated the 49ers' effort as host institution of the 1991 and 1993 NCAA Men's Basketball Southeast Regionals, the 1994 NCAA Men's Final Four, the 1996 NCAA Women's Final Four and the 1999 and 2000 NCAA Men's Soccer College Cup. Charlotte joined Kentucky and Minnesota as the only programs to host both basketball Final Fours.

EARLY IN HER CAREER
Rose served as coordinator of women's athletics from 1976-82. She built the women's basketball program from scratch as its first head coach from 1975-82. Rose produced heralded success on the AIAW Division II level and built a career record of 93-56, which included three 20-plus-win seasons and two AIAW All-Americans.

In 1982, the 49ers women's program left the AIAW for NCAA Division I, and Rose was named assistant athletic director.

Since her appointment as A.D., Rose added an associate A.D. for compliance, revamped the athletic academic advising program, hired a full-time strength coach and developed a goals and objectives program for the head coaches, administrative staff and student-athletes.

Early in her administrative career, Rose pioneered the department's most successful fund raiser, the annual Great Gold Rush Auction. The one-night extravaganza began in 1984 and generated in excess of $1.87 million in its 17-year history, including more than $100,000 each of the last 14 years.

PERSONAL
Rose graduated with her B.S. degree in physical education in 1974 from Winthrop, where she lettered in basketball. She received her master's in physical education from Tennessee in 1975. At UT, Rose was an assistant coach under Pat Head Summit.

Rose is active on numerous boards and is a popular guest speaker.The NCAA and Conference USA each list her on numerous committees.

Rose is on the Executive Committee of the Charlotte Regional Sports Commission; serves on the Board of Directors of the N.C. Sports Hall of Fame and with USA Basketball; is on the Board of Managers for University City YMCA; and the N.C. High School Athletic Association Foundation; has been a member of the NCAA Women's Committee on Committees; the NCAA Division I Task Force for Restructuring; and the NCAA Task Force for Marketing and Licensing; and chaired the NCAA Walter Byers Postgraduate Scholarship Committee. In 1996-97, Rose served as Chair of the C-USA Athletic Directors and in 1998-99 she chaired the league's Championship Committee.

A native of Blacksburg, S.C., Rose and husband Ken were married July 19, 1986. They live in Denver, N.C.