Bob Gardner has been the executive director of the National Federation of State High School Associations since May of 2010. He will be retiring from this position in August of 2018 after nearly 50 years of serving in secondary education. Gardner was only the fifth full-time executive director for the NFHS since 1940.
During his 18 years on the NFHS staff in Indianapolis, participation in high school sports has increased by almost 400,000, including the expanded opportunity for students with disabilities in high school sports. Gardner has led the organization’s focus on risk minimization in high school sports, with particular emphasis on concussion awareness, and has brought a heightened national presence to the work of the NFHS and its member state associations.
In addition to the continual expansion of the NFHS Learning Center during his tenure, Gardner is credited with starting the NFHS Network, the first-of-its-kind digital coverage of high school sports with more than 25,000 events covered during the 2016-17 school year.
He spent his career in Indiana as a teacher and coach at three schools for eight years and as an athletic director. In 1978, Gardner became principal of Milan Junior-Senior High School, followed by a stint as superintendent of the Milan Community Schools.
After serving on the Indiana High School Athletic Association board of directors during his time at Milan, Gardner joined the IHSAA staff in 1985 as assistant commissioner. He served 10 years in that role prior to becoming commissioner in 1995.
Gardner joined the NFHS staff in 2000 as chief operating officer and served in that position for 10 years prior to becoming executive director. During this time, he chaired the NFHS Rules Review Committee and was responsible for day-to-day operations of the organization. He has served on the board of directors for USA Football, USA Basketball and the Indiana Sports Corp. He is a member of the Indiana High School Wrestling Hall of Fame.
In today’s episode, we discuss:
- His career serving student-athletes
- The movie Hoosiers and the real-life story
- The future of High School sports
Bobby Cox is the Commissioner of the Indiana High School Athletic Association. He became the 8th commissioner in Indiana history when he took the reigns in 2011. Prior to that appointment, he had served as assistant commissioner since 2000 administering the sports of football, boys’ golf, boys’ and girls’ track and field, and wrestling. Previously, Cox was a member of the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Football Rules Committee serving as the Chairman of the Research subcommittee from 2008-2011. Additionally, Cox served as a member of the NFHS Coaches’ Education committee from 2002-2006 and as an advisor to the Commission on Sports Medicine of the Indiana State Medical Association. Prior to joining the IHSAA, Cox had spent the previous 21 years as a teacher, coach, and athletic administrator in the Carmel Clay Schools.