The National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) has announced that MIT Director of Athletics G. Anthony Grant, head of the MIT Department of Athletics, Physical Education, and Recreation, is among 28 winners of the 2025-26 NACDA Athletic Director of the Year (ADOY) Award.
The ADOY Award highlights the efforts of athletics directors at all levels for their commitment and positive contributions to student-athletes, campuses, and their surrounding communities. Grant is currently in his sixth year at MIT, leading one of the most comprehensive Division III athletics programs in the country. In his role, he directs a department featuring 33 intercollegiate teams, including four Division I rowing programs, while providing opportunities for over 800 student-athletes.
MIT achieved remarkable success under Grant's leadership during the 2024-25 academic year, winning four NCAA championships. Women's swimming and diving captured the first national title in program history, while the women's cross country and track and field program swept all three NCAA championships in 2024-25, a historic first for an NCAA Division III women's program and the first MIT women's titles in cross country, as well as women's indoor and outdoor track and field.
The year also saw MIT win 13 individual national champions, with 158 student-athletes earning All-American honors, 166 named All-Region, 227 named All-Conference, and 24 named CSC Academic All-America. Multiple head and assistant coaches claimed national, regional, and conference recognition. Nine teams claimed conference titles, while MIT earned seven NCAA/national top 10 finishes, as men's indoor track and field (7th), men's swimming and diving (9th) and men's lightweight crew joined the four national title winners.
Despite having begun his tenure at MIT just weeks prior to the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, MIT has continued to excel and grow under Grant's leadership. The Engineers have won six NCAA team national championships, finishing in the top seven of the NACDA LEARFIELD Directors' Cup standings every year since MIT returned to play following the pandemic. Most recently, MIT finished sixth in the final LEARFIELD Directors' Cup standings for the 2024-25 academic year, marking the 10th time the Engineers finished in the top 10, while MIT captured the NEWMAC Women's Presidents Cup for the 10th straight season and 11th time overall in 2024-25.
Grant was instrumental in negotiating an exciting re-branding effort that included the transition of the team uniforms and other apparel to Nike, as he worked in conjunction with BSN Sports as the official apparel provider. He also increased fundraising efforts with a record-breaking year for annual gifts in 2022. To wit, Grant has overseen several key initiatives, including a record-breaking fundraising campaign and a $5 million renovation to the varsity athletics Sports Performance Center that reopened in 2024-25. Most recently, Grant announced a state-of-the-art facility upgrade and turf renovation of the Fran O'Brien Baseball Field and Briggs Softball Field, with work currently underway.
In addition to the on- and off-field accomplishments of MIT's student-athletes and coaches, Grant has intentionally strengthened department culture by focusing on MIT's mission and shared values and behaviors, which were re-branded in 2020 under his leadership. Grant embodies an open-door leadership style, creating an environment where staff at all levels feel comfortable engaging with him. He values feedback and open communication, and fosters a supportive, respectful, and inclusive environment. He actively supports employee initiatives and has worked with student-athlete leaders to enhance the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee to improve real-time feedback collection and engagement at meetings.
Grant came to MIT from Metropolitan State University of Denver, where he also served as the director of athletics. Prior to MSU Denver, Grant served as the interim director of athletics at Millersville University in Pennsylvania, where he also worked as associate director of athletics for seven years. In addition, Grant has served as the athletic academic coordinator at the University of Iowa.
He earned his master's degree from Temple University in sport and recreation, along with a PhD in health and sport studies with a specialization in athletic administration from the University of Iowa. His leadership extends beyond MIT, as he is also involved with the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics, the National Association of Division III Athletics Administrators (NADIIIAA), and the Minority Opportunities Athletic Association. Most recently, he was named to the NADIIIAA Board of Directors for 2025-26.
The ADOY Award program is in its 28th year and has recognized a total of 633 deserving athletics directors to date. The award spans seven divisions (NCAA FBS, FCS, Division I-AAA, II, III, NAIA/Other Four-Year Institutions and Junior College/Community Colleges). Winners will be recognized in conjunction with the 61st Annual NACDA and Affiliates Convention at Mandalay Bay Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada, at the beginning of the Association-Wide Featured Session on Tuesday, June 9. Additional history surrounding the ADOY award, including a list of past winners, can be found here.
