Tony Duckworth became the sixth Director of Athletics at Northeastern State University on June 13, 2011.  As Chief Athletics Officer, he will also oversee a transitional period at NSU which is leaving the Lone Star Conference to join the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association. The RiverHawks will compete independently during the 2011-12 academic year.  Northeastern State sponsors ten NCAA Division II sports.  This will be the 19^th year Duckworth has been involved in intercollegiate athletics including backgrounds in athletics administration, NCAA and NABC national and regional committees, conference sport chair and committees, head coaching and assistant coaching.  

Prior to Northeastern State, Duckworth was Director of Athletics at NCAA Division II Maryville University – St. Louis.  Maryville sponsored 17 NCAA Division II sports.  He led Maryville through a significant transition as the university was granted permission to reclassify from Division III to Division II in 2008.   Maryville completed the three year reclassification process in 2011.  In addition to reclassifying to Division II, Duckworth led Maryville’s application, presentations and admission into the Great Lakes Valley Conference in October 2008.  GLVC competition began during Fall 2009. 

Huntingdon College (Alabama) was the stop for Duckworth prior to Maryville where he worked from 2001 – 2007 as Head Men’s Basketball Coach while serving as Associate Athletics Director during the last three years of his tenure.  During that time he had the 2^nd most wins in college history which included his team winning both the 2006 Great South Athletic Conference Regular Season and Tournament Championships, and Duckworth was named 2006 GSAC Coach of the Year.   The 20 –7 season (2006-2007) marked the best winning percentage and most wins in 41 years while finishing 1^st in NCAA Division III in Defensive FG% (35.4%) which ranks 1^st  All-Time in NCAA Division III history.  The Hawks also won 13 consecutive games to end the season, which tied the school record from the 1961-62 season.  Including the 2006-2007 season, Huntingdon had the best 3 consecutive seasons in 39 years (53 wins), including 3 consecutive GSAC Final 4 tournament appearances – 2006 Champions.  During that same span, Huntingdon had 23 road victories while winning 21 of their last 22 home games over two seasons. 

During the 2004-2005 season (17 – 10), Huntingdon Basketball finished 3^rd in the NCAA in Defensive FG% (37%), and 6^th in the NCAA in Rebounding Margin (+9.3); while the 2003-2004 team (16 – 11) finished with the 5^th Best Turnaround in NCAA D3.  During the 5 years of membership in the GSAC, members of Duckworth’s program have been recognized - including: 10 All-Academic Team, 6 All-Freshman Team, 1 All-Region, and 8 All-Conference selections including the 2006 Player of the Year and 2007 Freshman of the Year.

Prior to Duckworth’s arrival to Huntingdon, he turned the Belhaven College (Mississippi) program around while being one of the youngest four-year college head coaches in the nation when he took over the program at the age of 28.  His Belhaven squad made the 2001 NAIA Division II National Tournament during his 4^th season at the helm while ranking 1^st in NAIA Division II in Rebounding Margin (+10.6).  This was only the 2^nd national tournament appearance for the Blazers in their 46 years of intercollegiate basketball competition.  During his last two seasons, Duckworth led the program to 25 consecutive weeks of being nationally ranked while winning 37 games over that span.  He also left the Belhaven program as the 2^nd winningest coach in school history after just 4 seasons, while coaching 2 All-Americans and 2 Academic All-Americans.

Duckworth was the Assistant Men’s Basketball Coach and Recruiting Coordinator from 1992-96 at Covenant College (Georgia) an NAIA Division II program.  The three years Duckworth was the Recruiting Coordinator, he recruited four TVAC All-Freshman Team players and one transfer recruit was named an NAIA All-American.  During the three seasons Duckworth was the Recruiting Coordinator, Covenant compiled 35 conference wins.

Duckworth also has International head coaching experience.  Duckworth has led two American All-Star teams (1992 and 1996) to compete overseas in international competition in Costa Rica.

Duckworth’s memberships include the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics and the National Association of Basketball Coaches.  He had an essay published in Chicken Soup for the Soul Inside Basketball in 2009. 

Duckworth is married to Amy Coverdell of Collinsville, Illinois.  The couple has three sons: Chaney, Evan and Cole.   

Educational Background

• 1994  Master of Education, University of Tennessee (Chattanooga, TN)
• 1990  B.S., Financial Management,  Bob Jones University (Greenville, SC)