By Kevin Taylor, Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Sports Information Director

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Commissioner Scott McClure was bestowed with the Robert E. "Ish" Smith Award at a luncheon last Friday, Jan. 8 in conjunction with the American Baseball Coaches' Association meetings in Nashville, Tenn.

The Robert E. Smith Award is given annually to a coach or administrator who has given oneself in an unselfish manner to the promotion of NAIA baseball. McClure is the 16th winner of the award, which was first established in 1999 by the NAIA Baseball Coaches Association.

The Robert E. "Ish" Smith Award is named for the first recipient of the award in 1999. Smith, an NAIA Hall of Fame baseball coach and former President of Greenville College (Ill.), also served as the President of the International Baseball Association. He is the person most credited with having baseball become an Olympic sport.

"I'm extremely humbled to receive the Robert E. "Ish" Smith Award," said McClure who is in his first year as KIAC Commissioner and previously served as the NAIA Manager of Championship sports for baseball at the NAIA office for 12 years. "To be recognized in a group that includes legendary NAIA coaches like Hank Burbridge, Carroll Land, Scott Berry, Jim Boeve and John Kolasinski is truly an honor."

McClure has more than 25 years of athletic adminstration experience with 20 of that coming in the NAIA. During 12 years working at the NAIA national office, he oversaw the administration of over 50 NAIA national championship events, many of them coming in NAIA baseball with the NAIA World Series coming under his direction.

McClure's time in the NAIA also includes becoming the SID at his alma mater, Siena Heights (Mich.), in 1990. During his 11 years there, he also served as an adjunct faculty member, assistant basketball coach and media coordinator for the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference.

He most recently served as the Athletic Director at MacMurray College in Jacksonville, Illinois. Under his leadership, the Highlander Athletic Department earned the inaugural SLIAC Conference Community Service Award for the 2013-14 academic year.

The Robert E. Smith Award Winners
1999 - Robert E. Smith (Greenville, Ill.)
2000 - Paul Merkel (Whitworth, Wash.)
2001 - Gordon Gillespie (Lewis, Ill.)
2002 - Carroll Land (Point Loma Nazarene, Calif.)
2003 - Bill Arce (Claremont-Mudd, Calif.)
2004 - Hank Burbridge (Spring Arbor)
2006 - Jamie White (Avista-NAIA World Series, Lewiston, Idaho)
2007 - Elmer Kosub (Saint Mary's, Texas)
2008 - Al Meyer (Mayville State, N.D.)
2009 - Dave Altopp (Lee, Tenn.)
2010 - Scott Berry (Mayville State, N.D.)
2011 - Denny Grubb (Avista-NAIA World Series, Lewiston, Idaho)
2012 - Jim Boeve (Hastings, Neb.)
2013 - Mark Kraemer (Rawlings Sporting Goods)
2014 - John Kolasinski (Siena Heights)
2015 -- Scott McClure (KIAC Commissioner)