CLIFFORD O. HAG AN Athetics Director
A growing, thriving athletics program at the University of Kentucky is under the director of Cliff Hagan, who has seen and overseen vast improvements in all phases of the operation since he joined the Wildcat administrative staff six years ago.
The most recent challenge facing Hagan was merger of the men's and women's Athletics Programs at the University a move that was accomplished on schedule July 1.
One of Hagan's first tasks when he moved into Memorial Coliseum as an assistant athletics director in 1972 was to create and implement the Blue Et White Fund for 57,000-seat Commonwealth Stadium and later for Rupp Arena, which has provided the additional financial support that has moved the athletics program into a first class operation.
After being involved in administration of the athletics department for two years, Hagan replaced Harry C. Lancaster as director of athletics in July, 1975. Wildcat teams that year compiled one of the best records in the school's history, with the basketball Wildcats winning the National Invitational Tournament, the wrestling and rifle teams winning SEC titles and the baseball team winning the SEC Eastern Division.
The wrestling team repeated as conference champion the following year, the basketball team finished with a 26-4 record and the football team won seven of 11 regular season games and defeated North Carolina in the Peach Bowl. It was the best UK football record in 23 years and the Wildcats' first post-season appearance since the 1952 Cotton Bowl. During the past year, the football team finished 10-1 (6-0 in the Southeastern Conference) and the basketball team won the NCAA championship.
With both the football and basketball teams playing to sellout crowds and drawing a big on-the-road following, Hagan has not been content, but has made Wildcat games even more enjoyable by personally designing and selecting the
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