INDIANAPOLIS---Judy Southard, associate athletics director at Louisiana State University, will serve as chair of the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Committee during the 2006-07 academic year. The appointment was made by the committee and confirmed by NCAA Championships/Competition Cabinet.

Southard’s term as chair will begin September 1, 2006. She will succeed Joni Comstock, director of athletics at American University, who currently chairs the committee.

“It’s a great honor and privilege to be selected by my colleagues to be chair of this important committee,” Southard said. “The committee is a tremendous group of people who are working hard every day to elevate the prominence of the championship. I will be following some great leadership in the last few years provided by Lynn Parkes and Joni Comstock and will strive to keep this momentum going for our game.”

Southard, who has had a very successful career as both a head women’s basketball coach and director of athletics, is currently in her fifth year as LSU’s senior woman administrator and associate athletics director after joining the department in the summer of 2001.

She came to LSU from Texas Woman’s University, where she served as the school’s director of athletics for nine years.

Southard has served on numerous national committee’s during her career in athletic administration and served on the NCAA Division II Women’s Basketball Committee from 1996-2000, serving as chair in 1999-00. She was on the NCAA Division I Women’s Gymnastics Committee from 2001 to 2003. In 2004 she was named to serve on the Southeastern Conference Executive Committee.

Prior to her stint at Texas Woman’s University, Southard served as head women’s basketball coach at Marshall University, where in 11 years she led the Lady Herd to five Southern Conference titles. At Marshall, Southard was named Southern Conference Coach of the Year three times and her career record of 178-130 still stands as a school record for women’s basketball victories.

Before going to Marshall, Southard spent three years as head coach at the University of Tennessee, Martin and she also served for one season as an assistant coach at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. As a high school teacher from 1970-77, Southard coached both basketball and tennis, leading her West Florence High School basketball team to the South Carolina 4A state title in 1976.

A native of Columbia, South Carolina, Southard earned a bachelor’s degree in physical education and health from Coker College in 1970, followed by a master’s degree in physical education from Tennessee in 1978.

“Judy has served the women’s basketball community for a number of years as a coach and administrator and this is a natural extension for her to become chair of the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Committee,” said Sue Donohoe, NCAA vice president for the Division I Women’s Basketball Championship. “She has been a constant in the women’s game since the 1970’s and continues to be a champion for our game. We look forward to our continued work with her in the continued enhancement of the women’s championship in the years ahead.”