Hockenbury named 2025 GNAC Executive (Athletic Director) of the Year

The Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) has named Norwich University Director of Athletics Ed Hockenbury as the 2025 GNAC Executive (Athletic Director) of the Year, following a vote conducted by the league's 16 athletic directors.

The honor comes as Hockenbury completes his third season leading Norwich's Department of Athletics, a tenure marked by competitive success, academic excellence, and expanded opportunities for student-athletes. His leadership continues to elevate the Cadets within both the GNAC and the broader Division III landscape.

"I am honored to receive this honor and grateful for being recognized by my GNAC colleagues," Hockenbury said. "It is a privilege to work alongside such a committed group of professionals who consistently prioritize the success and well-being of our student-athletes. This honor is a reflection of the outstanding work being done by the coaches, staff, and student-athletes at Norwich. I am proud to be a part of such a special community and I am excited for what lies ahead."

A native of South Burlington, Vt., Hockenbury began his tenure in June 2022 after being appointed in December 2021. He succeeded longtime Director of Athletics Tony Mariano, who retired in May 2022 and was honored as the 2022 GNAC Executive of the Year.

Since joining the GNAC, Hockenbury has played a prominent role in conference governance. He has served as Chair of the Athletic Directors' Council, Chair of the Executive Committee, Chair of Cross Country, and Chair of Men's Tennis, as well as contributing to championship planning, scheduling policy, and sport-specific development.

The 2024-25 academic year has been another milestone chapter for Norwich Athletics. The Cadets captured five conference championships this season, with three coming in GNAC-sponsored sports. The men's cross country team continued its dominance by claiming its 12th conference title in November. In February, the men's and women's swimming & diving teams each secured their third consecutive GNAC Championship, extending a remarkable run of sustained success. Outside of the GNAC, the men's rugby program won the North Atlantic Collegiate Rugby Conference (NACRC) 15s and 7s Championship, earning its seventh straight trip to the Collegiate Rugby Championship National Tournament in the spring.

This season also marked the first time in school history that Norwich hosted the GNAC Cross Country Championship. It was a natural progression for the program after reintroducing home competition to campus in 2023 with the inaugural Cadet Invitational, the first home cross country meet in Northfield since 1999. The second annual edition followed this past fall, laying the groundwork for the historic championship meet, which is set to return to Northfield this November.

Throughout the year, Hockenbury's impact extended beyond competition. The Norwich men's and women's basketball programs hosted the annual Ed Hockenbury Classic, a multi-team event held each December that continues to serve as a celebration of the University's basketball tradition. The 2024 edition featured the ceremonial unveiling of permanent 1,000-point banners for both programs and honored the 46 players who had reached the milestone. Since that ceremony, four additional Cadets joined the prestigious 1,000-point club.

This past spring, Norwich once again served as host for major statewide events, including the Vermont Principals' Association Unified Basketball Championship and the VPA High School Lacrosse Championships. The Unified Basketball finale brought together Middlebury Union High School and Burr and Burton Academy in a spirited, inclusive matchup, while three lacrosse championship games filled Sabine Field and Haynes Family Stadium with vibrant crowds in June.

In December, the University announced the addition of women's wrestling, becoming the first senior military college or federal service academy to add the sport at the varsity level. The program will begin competition in the 2025-26 academic year, becoming the school's 10th women's sport and expanding total varsity offerings to 23 programs. The launch follows previous expansions under Hockenbury's leadership, including the reinstatement of men's golf and coed rifle in 2022.

Norwich student-athletes also excelled in the classroom. Earlier this month, a school-record 126 Cadets were named to the GNAC Academic All-Conference Team, surpassing last year's mark of 125. It was the fourth straight year the University had more than 100 honorees, continuing a sustained rise in academic performance and retention across the department.

The 2024-25 campaign follows a landmark 2023-24 season in which Norwich was awarded the GNAC Men's Commissioner's Cup, recognizing the top-performing men's athletics program in the conference. It marked Norwich's first Commissioner Cup victory since 2012-13 and capped a year that saw 11 Cadets receive major conference awards, including Player and Rookie of the Year distinctions.

Hockenbury also oversaw another historic first during that summer, as swimmer Benjamin Stark '24 became the first student-athlete in school history to be named GNAC Athlete of the Year for Men's Sports.

Now entering his fourth year as Director of Athletics, Hockenbury has brought more than three decades of leadership experience in athletic administration and coaching to the role. Before returning to Norwich, he served as Associate Athletic Director for Internal Operations at the University of Vermont (UVM) from 2016 to 2022, overseeing key aspects of a comprehensive NCAA Division I athletic program with 18 sports and more than 400 student-athletes.

A 1990 graduate of Princeton University, Hockenbury was a three-year starting catcher for the Tigers' baseball team and signed a professional contract with the California Angels following graduation. He began his coaching career at UVM under longtime head coach Bill Currier and earned his master's degree in educational leadership from UVM in 1995.

He went on to serve as Athletic Director at Essex High School from 1997 to 2014, and later as Director of Student Activities at South Burlington High School and Frederick H. Tuttle Middle School. He is also a longtime youth basketball and baseball coach in South Burlington.

Hockenbury's connection to Norwich runs deep. He is the son of the late Ed Hockenbury Sr., who served as Norwich's head men's basketball coach for 17 seasons and led the Cadets to their first two NCAA Tournament appearances in the 1980s. The annual Ed Hockenbury Classic, which launched in 1997 and celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2022, remains a signature event on the Norwich basketball calendar.

As the fifth Director of Athletics at Norwich since 1955, Hockenbury leads the University's 23 varsity athletic programs and serves as a visible presence on campus, in the community, and across the conference.

He and his wife Stephanie reside in South Burlington. They are the proud parents of three sons: Eddie, Ryan, and Casey.