Dan May ’03, MCM’09 earns accolades for his work as high school AD
Walking through the halls near Midview High School’s gymnasium, Dan May ’03, MCM’09 smiles as he points to a plaque featuring a familiar face to most at Marietta College.
“I’m the Athletic Director where Coach Schaly had his first teaching job,” May says. “My first year here I put him in the Hall of Fame.”
May, who was a pitcher for the Etta Express during his undergraduate years, has always been passionate about sports. And in the seven years he’s served as the Athletic Director of Midview Schools, he has garnered plenty of accolades for his approach to strengthening the athletics program for the Division I high school. In 2019, May was named the Athletic Director of the Year by the Northeast Ohio Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association and the Ohio Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association; and in 2018, he was named AD of the Year by the Lorain County Athletic Administrators Association. This year, his high school alma mater will induct him into the Avon Lake Sports Hall of Fame.
Dr. Bruce Willingham, Superintendent of Midview Schools, has worked with May for four years.
“Dan is probably the best athletic director I’ve ever worked with,” Willingham says. “He’s even-keeled and very organized. … He’s not required to go to our school board meetings, but he does anyway because he cares. Dan is invested in our kids, in our facilities and in our coaches.”
May earned a Bachelor of Arts in Management with a minor in Sport Administration, as well as a Master of Corporate Media in 2009. After graduation, he worked for the Athletic Department as the Sports Information Director until 2011. From his experiences as a collegiate student-athlete to his background in sport management, he works to ensure the highest-quality programs and experiences for the student-athletes who participate in Midview’s 24 varsity sports.
“During their season, they spend more time at the school than they do at home,” May says. “I do have a lot of experience, and when they’re willing to listen and learn, you want to share that.”