Craig Littlepage
Encyclopedia
Craig Littlepage is an American athletic director at the University of Virginia
in Charlottesville
, Virginia
. He was named to that position in 2001 and has been with the school as an administrator since 1990.
for the University of Pennsylvania
and graduated from Penn's Wharton School in 1973 with a degree in economics
. He served as an assistant coach at Villanova University
and Yale University
before coming to the University of Virginia in 1976 as an assistant coach for Terry Holland
. Littlepage's alma mater Penn hired him as head coach in 1982. He then was hired as head coach by Rutgers University
in 1985. After Littlepage was dismissed as head coach of the Scarlet Knights in 1988, he returned to Virginia and again served as an assistant until 1990 when Holland resigned and was replaced by Jeff Jones
.
announced Littlepage's appointment to be the ninth Virginia Athletics Director. He was the first Black Athletics Director in UVa history. In 2003 and 2006, he was named the Black Coaches Association's "Athletics Administrator of the Year." He was also listed on Sports Illustrated's list of the 101 most influential minorities in sports in 2003 and 2004. Littlepage created a motto of "uncompromised excellence in intercollegiate athletics," and led Virginia athletics to achieving success in a broad range of sports.
In 2003, following a controversial performance by the Virginia Pep Band
at the 2002 Continental Tire Bowl in which the band lampooned the home state of the opposing West Virginia Mountaineers
and was banned from any future performance at the bowl, Littlepage banned the Pep Band from participating in any Cavalier varsity sports. A donation from Carl Smith
allowed the formation of the Cavalier Marching Band.
In 2006
, he headed the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Committee. The committee's most prominent duty was to select the 65 teams that participate in the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament.
At the beginning of the 2008 football season
, Littlepage briefly banned signs from all school athletic events. Following a student protest at the school's second home game of the season, in which ESPN
's Rick Reilly
encouraged students to bring in blank signs and signs that said, "This is not a sign," Littlepage repealed the ban.
In March 2009, Dave Leitao
, whom Littlepage had hired to replace the outgoing Pete Gillen
as men's basketball coach some four years earlier, resigned. He was replaced by Tony Bennett
, the former Washington State University
men's basketball coach.
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
in Charlottesville
Charlottesville, Virginia
Charlottesville is an independent city geographically surrounded by but separate from Albemarle County in the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States, and named after Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, the queen consort of King George III of the United Kingdom.The official population estimate for...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
. He was named to that position in 2001 and has been with the school as an administrator since 1990.
Early career
Littlepage played basketballBasketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
for the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
and graduated from Penn's Wharton School in 1973 with a degree in economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
. He served as an assistant coach at Villanova University
Villanova University
Villanova University is a private university located in Radnor Township, a suburb northwest of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States...
and Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
before coming to the University of Virginia in 1976 as an assistant coach for Terry Holland
Terry Holland
Michael Terrence "Terry" Holland is the Athletics Director and Executive Assistant to Chancellor Steve Ballard at East Carolina University...
. Littlepage's alma mater Penn hired him as head coach in 1982. He then was hired as head coach by Rutgers University
Rutgers University
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey , is the largest institution for higher education in New Jersey, United States. It was originally chartered as Queen's College in 1766. It is the eighth-oldest college in the United States and one of the nine Colonial colleges founded before the American...
in 1985. After Littlepage was dismissed as head coach of the Scarlet Knights in 1988, he returned to Virginia and again served as an assistant until 1990 when Holland resigned and was replaced by Jeff Jones
Jeff Jones (basketball coach)
Jeffrey Allen Jones is an American college basketball coach and currently the head coach of the American University men's basketball team. Jones took the helm of American basketball on April 17, 2000, becoming the 17th coach in the school's history...
.
University of Virginia
On August 21, 2001, University of Virginia President John T. Casteen IIIJohn T. Casteen III
John Thomas Casteen III is an American educator. He has served as Professor of English and President of the University of Virginia from 1990 through 2010.-Early life and career:...
announced Littlepage's appointment to be the ninth Virginia Athletics Director. He was the first Black Athletics Director in UVa history. In 2003 and 2006, he was named the Black Coaches Association's "Athletics Administrator of the Year." He was also listed on Sports Illustrated's list of the 101 most influential minorities in sports in 2003 and 2004. Littlepage created a motto of "uncompromised excellence in intercollegiate athletics," and led Virginia athletics to achieving success in a broad range of sports.
In 2003, following a controversial performance by the Virginia Pep Band
Virginia Pep Band
The Virginia Pep Band is a student-run band at the University of Virginia , officially known as The Award-Winning Virginia Fighting Cavalier Indoor/Outdoor Precision Marching Pep Band, & Chowder Society Review, Unlimited!!!...
at the 2002 Continental Tire Bowl in which the band lampooned the home state of the opposing West Virginia Mountaineers
West Virginia Mountaineers
The West Virginia Mountaineers are the athletic teams of West Virginia University. The school is a member of National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I and the Big East Conference. On July 1, 2012 the Mountaineers will switch conferences, moving from the Big East to the Big 12, becoming...
and was banned from any future performance at the bowl, Littlepage banned the Pep Band from participating in any Cavalier varsity sports. A donation from Carl Smith
Carl Smith
Carl Smith may refer to:* Carl Smith , American country music singer* Carl Smith , American football coach* Carl Smith , ice hockey winger...
allowed the formation of the Cavalier Marching Band.
In 2006
2006 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 2006 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 65 schools playing in a single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball as a culmination of the 2005–06 basketball season...
, he headed the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Committee. The committee's most prominent duty was to select the 65 teams that participate in the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament.
At the beginning of the 2008 football season
2008 Virginia Cavaliers Football Team
The 2008 Virginia Cavaliers football team represented the University of Virginia during the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football season. It was Virginia's 55th season as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference . The Cavaliers were led by...
, Littlepage briefly banned signs from all school athletic events. Following a student protest at the school's second home game of the season, in which ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
's Rick Reilly
Rick Reilly
Richard "Rick" Paul Reilly is an American sportswriter. Long known for being the "back page" columnist for Sports Illustrated, Reilly moved to ESPN on June 1, 2008 where he is a featured columnist for ESPN.com and wrote the back page column for ESPN the Magazine...
encouraged students to bring in blank signs and signs that said, "This is not a sign," Littlepage repealed the ban.
In March 2009, Dave Leitao
Dave Leitao
Dave Leitao is the head coach of the Maine Red Claws of the NBA Development League and the former head men's basketball coach of the University of Virginia. Previously, he was head coach at Northeastern University and DePaul University...
, whom Littlepage had hired to replace the outgoing Pete Gillen
Pete Gillen
Pete Gillen is an American former college basketball head coach of the Division I Xavier Musketeers, Providence Friars and Virginia Cavaliers and is a member of the New York City Basketball Hall of Fame...
as men's basketball coach some four years earlier, resigned. He was replaced by Tony Bennett
Tony Bennett (basketball)
Anthony "Tony" Guy Bennett is an American college basketball coach and current head coach for the University of Virginia Cavaliers men's team. Previously, he played professionally for the NBA's Charlotte Hornets and was later head coach at Washington State University...
, the former Washington State University
Washington State University
Washington State University is a public research university based in Pullman, Washington, in the Palouse region of the Pacific Northwest. Founded in 1890, WSU is the state's original and largest land-grant university...
men's basketball coach.