When Lee Reed came to Cleveland State in August 2002, he vowed to turn the athletic program around.

“CSU athletics will be a force to be reckoned with in the Horizon League. That’s where it starts,” he promised. “It won’t be easy. It won’t happen overnight.”

But it has happened.

The Vikings won five team championships in 2007-08 -– women’s basketball, volleyball and softball, and men’s tennis and golf. Two teams –- men’s basketball and men’s swimming -– finished second. For the first time, CSU took home the James J. McCafferty Trophy as Horizon League all-sports champion. Reed couldn’t be happier.

“This year is the most successful in CSU history,” he says. “To win the McCafferty All-Sports Trophy is an example of what happens when talented and committed student-athletes, coaches and staff work toward common goals. Our unwavering commitment to academic and competitive excellence has paid off and I look forward to continuing to work with our department to build on the tremendous success of this year.”

Proud as he is of his teams, he’s even prouder of his student-athletes.

“I continue to marvel at the academic and athletic achievements of our student-athletes. They represent the best-of-the-best in Ohio; their cumulative GPA of 3.1 along with their athletic accomplishments prove we can excel on the playing fields without sacrificing achievement in the classroom. And, in their spare time, they serve Northeast Ohio through many hours of community engagement.”

Reed, the fourth athletic director in CSU history, was a Viking basketball player from 1979-83 and served as team captain during his final year. He is among CSU’s career leaders in assists (eighth place with 339), field goals (17th place with 394) and minutes played (10th place with 3,026).

He says he’s eager to continue moving University athletics to the next level.

“Providing our coaches and staff with the resources needed to be competitive and convincing businesses and the general public to support our teams and attend athletic events are critically important,” he says. “Fortunately, we’re now giving fans a reason to support our Vikings.”

Click here to read more about Lee Reed’s successes and leadership style in the July 29 Plain Dealer.

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