Gonzaga honors former AD Roth
From news services
SPOKANE — Gonzaga University honored former athletic director Mike Roth on Saturday, prior to the start of the Gonzaga-Texas men’s basketball game at the McCarthey Athletic Center.
Roth recently retired after a 34-year run at Gonzaga, 24 years as GU’s AD. Under his leadership, Gonzaga Athletics transformed through numerous facility projects, Bulldog student-athletes won 66 West Coast Conference Championships, making 74 postseason NCAA appearances, all while leading the nation in graduation rates.
Saturday night, Roth was joined at center court before the top-5 matchup by his wife Linda, Gonzaga President Thayne McCulloh, Athletic Director Chris Standiford, Deputy Athletic Director Shannon Strahl and Gonzaga head basketball coach Mark Few.
According to a Gonzaga news release, “The Mike Roth Way” of leading the Zags means Winning in the Classroom, in the Community, and in Competition. It means Making an Impact. It also means Never Being Satisfied. To recognize Roth’s impact, Gonzaga announced the renaming of Lower Kennedy Drive, the road directly south of the McCarthey Athletic Center, Volkar Center and Martin Centre, to Mike Roth Way.
Roth mentored numerous students over his tenure, including current Athletic Director Chris Standiford and Deputy Athletic Director Shannon Strahl, who both began their careers as graduate students under Roth’s wing. In honor of his years of mentorship, and in addition to the street renaming, The Mike and Linda Roth Endowed Scholarship was also introduced as a new pathway for aspiring athletic administrators to begin their careers at Gonzaga. The new graduate scholarship will allow students to follow in Mike’s footsteps and prepare future leaders to positively impact the lives of student-athletes.
The university seeks to raise $1 million for the endowment, which will disperse next year and provide funds in perpetuity, allowing Gonzaga to honor Mike and continue his legacy of development of young professionals.
Those interested in donating to the Mike and Linda Roth Endowed Scholarship can donate at GoZags.com/Roth.