The University of Toledo Senior Associate Athletic Director Kelly Andrews was presented with the Trailblazer Award by the Mid-American Conference at the annual MAC Honors Dinner in Cleveland.
The Trailblazer Award is an annual award that honors a MAC individual in any position who has demonstrated support of equal opportunities and the student-athlete experience.
Andrews has been a trailblazer in women’s athletics going back to her days as a three-sport student-athlete at Colgate University, a volleyball coach at Erie Community College and East Tennessee State University, culminating in a 21-year career as the senior associate athletic director and senior woman administrator at The University of Toledo. In that time, she has served as sport supervisor for teams that have won 25 Mid-American Conference Championship titles and made 12 NCAA Championship appearances. After spending the past 47 years as a student-athlete, coach and administrator, Andrews is retiring later this month
“Congratulations to Kelly Andrews for receiving the MAC Trailblazer Award,” said Toledo Vice President and Director of Athletics Bryan B. Blair. “Kelly has devoted her career to supporting student-athletes and helping them reach their academic and athletic goals. She has been a resolute advocate for promoting equal opportunities for all student-athletes and for enhancing the student-athlete experience. I could not think of a more appropriate honor for Kelly as she concludes her very impressive career in college athletics.”
Andrews joined the Rockets in June of 2002 as associate athletic director and was promoted to the role of senior associate athletic director in 2008. She served as the reporting administrator for 14 sport programs, as well as overseeing many aspects of the department’s internal operations, such as strength and conditioning and equipment services. She served as tournament director for numerous MAC Championships hosted by The University of Toledo, as well as the 2009 NCAA Men’s Golf Championship and the 2014 NCAA Women’s Basketball First/Second Rounds.
Andrews has served on the NACDA Executive Committee; the NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Committee, in which she served as chair for two years; and the NCAA Division I Awards, Benefits and Financial Aid Cabinet. She served as the chair of the MAC Senior Administrators group from 2008-10 and is currently the sport liaison for MAC baseball and volleyball. She also was a member of The University of Toledo Women’s Commission for 21 years, 10 of which she served as chair.
Prior to coming to UToledo, Andrews was the associate athletic director at East Tennessee State 1998-2002.
Andrews began her coaching career as the head women’s volleyball coach at Erie Community College in Buffalo. Her coaching background also includes a 10-year stint as the head volleyball coach at East Tennessee from 1988-97, where she led her school to four Southern Conference championships and was Southern Conference Coach of the Year in 1991.
A native of Buffalo, Andrews grew up in Horseheads, N.Y., and was a three-sport standout at Horseheads High School. She competed in volleyball, basketball and lacrosse while earning her bachelor’s degree in English from Colgate in 1980 and was inducted into the Colgate Athletic Hall of Honor in 2005. Andrews completed her master’s degree in physical education/sport management at West Virginia University.
