NSU Athletics: A legacy of success and a promising future

By Bella Giaquinto •

A significant change is approaching for NSU Athletics as the sixth president of NSU, George L. Hanbury II, prepares to step down. Since he was elected in 2010, Hanbury’s leadership and vision has pushed the Sharks to unprecedented heights, resulting in 13 national championships and countless individual honors. As the university transitions to the new leadership of president-elect Dr. Harry K. Moon, executive vice president and chief operating officer, on Jan. 1, 2025, the legacy of Hanbury’s impact on NSU Athletics will continue to inspire the future of the department.

“2025 still talks about preeminence. And that’s why I say I can see preeminence, but we’re not quite there yet. But Dr. Moon’s going to take us, and I think he’s going to take us bigger and better than what I did. So, I’ve enjoyed my time here, but I also realize it’s time for me to step down,” Hanbury said.

Upon taking office, Hanbury sought to create an athletic department for NSU that excelled both on and off the field. To achieve this, he focused on recruiting talented student-athletes who were equally committed to academic success.

“The whole challenge was finding the best coaches to recruit the most talented athletes who also wanted to be student athletes and that’s what we’ve been with,” Hanbury said. “So our challenge was to not only attract athletes, but to attract student-athletes who wanted to expand their knowledge as well as their muscles.”

To further elevate the athletic department, Hanbury recognized the importance of state-of-the-art facilities. These facilities would attract top-tier coaches and provide student-athletes with the resources they needed to succeed.

“The hardest aspect was to build the facilities that would not only attract the students but to attract the coaches because the coaches need to feel they would come into some place that was really worthy of their skills to attract the best student athletes,” Hanbury said.

Hanbury’s dedication to fostering a well-rounded student-athlete experience is reflected in the department’s academic achievements, including 28 consecutive semesters with a GPA above 3.0, and its athletic accomplishments, such as back-to-back top-10 NCAA Division II rankings.

Interim Director of Athletics John Sung highlights Hanbury’s transformative impact on the athletic department.

“He has supported athletics at a tremendous rate,” Sung said. “He’s helped us get to where we’ve gotten to with our 13 national championships and he has allowed athletics to really represent NSU at the highest level.”

Jim Crutchfield, head men’s basketball coach, recognized Hanbury’s pivotal role in the growth and development of the university, including the basketball program.

“Dr. Hanbury has a presence about him and is more than very presidential,” Crutchfield said. “With that, he has built this university from one level to another. This university during his tenure has grown dramatically and he has been the driving force of that. The basketball team is part of this university, so he’s been a part of that, too.”

Having experienced Hanbury’s leadership as both a student-athlete and an administrator, Robert “Bubba” Baroniel shared his insights into the president’s influence on the university.

“Every generation of NSU students, as they move through here and they move through these doors and these buildings, I will always be proud that Dr. Hanbury was my president,” said Baroniel, assistant athletic director of Athletic External Affairs. “As a student, I always felt I had as great of an experience I possibly could’ve had. I had everything I needed, it never felt like it was a Division II program.”

While Hanbury’s impact on athletics has been felt and appreciated by many, he leaves the NSU community with a lasting piece of advice.

“Just keep giving me a fins up. You’ll do fine. I think as long as you follow and live by those core values and aspire, always keep your aim above your reach. Follow your passion, not your fortune. Be persistent where you want to go, but most importantly, maintain your integrity,” Hanbury said.

Looking ahead, Sung expressed confidence in Moon’s ability to continue the department’s upward trajectory. Having been a student-athlete himself at Tulane University, Moon brings a unique perspective to his role as president of NSU.

“I think Dr. Moon believes in that same passion and mission of giving student athletes the ability to compete at the highest level,” Sung said. “Something that’s really a huge positive for Dr. Moon is an NCAA athlete. He knows the grind of what it takes to be a student athlete firsthand and he also knows how it can change the course of a student’s life.”

Crutchfield agrees. He said Dr. Moon’s diverse background as a former student athlete and a doctor will benefit NSU athletics.

“I would describe him as a Renaissance man,” Crutchfield said.

When asked about the future direction of NSU Athletics and the possibilities of new additions to the department, Moon provided a statement to The Current.

“When you consider where we’re located—here in South Florida— and where most people love to go and spend time—on the beach or on the water, why wouldn’t we consider some additional sports that take advantage of this wonderful setting? We are already reinstituting Rowing, but why not consider Sailing, too? What about Beach Volleyball? These are some of the sports I see us considering as we move forward.”

Since 2018, Moon has been overseeing most of NSU’s administrative and auxiliary units as well as its clinical health care operations, as executive vice president and chief operating officer. He led the integration of NSU’s 30-plus clinics to create NSU Health, a university-affiliated health care network. On Jan. 1, 2025, he will become the seventh president of NSU.

“When you look at NSU and all of its assets, in addition to the facilities and the academic programs, they are two of the biggest assets of this university: Dr. George Hanbury and Dr. Harry Moon,” Crutchfield said.