Marquette 'M Club' Hall of Fame
- Induction:
- 2009
Bill Cords began his tenure as Marquette's Director of Athletics by bringing MU its first ever conference affiliation in 1988 with the Midwestern Collegiate Conference. After entering the MCC, Cords oversaw Marquette's subsequent moves to the Great Midwest Conference (1990-95) and a decade-long stay in Conference USA (1995-2005), before its eventual move to the BIG EAST Conference in 2005.
Cords was also instrumental in establishing the Blue and Gold Fund to fund student-athlete scholarships and played a pivotal role in moving Marquette's men's basketball home games to the Bradley Center in 1988.
In 1999, Cords was honored by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics as the Continental Regional (Central) I-AA/I-AAA Athletic Director of the Year.
Cords helped MU host successful NCAA Men's Basketball First and Second Rounds in 1992, 1994, 1996, 1999 and 2004 and the women's basketball Mideast Regional in 2002. After assuming responsibility for the Department of Recreational Sports in 1993, Cords started the summertime National Youth Sports Program (NYSP) designed to benefit youth in the Milwaukee area.
Sponsors: Jim and Ginny Wheeler
