RANDY CONRAD

Leyden High School

Randy has been a member of the Illinois Athletic Directors Association since 1998.  In that time, he has served the IADA on the registration committee.

Randy has been involved in education and athletics for the past 37 years.  Starting in 1985, he
began his career in Elmwood Park where he taught Industrial Technology and was an assistant
track coach, an assistant baseball coach, and an assistant wrestling coach and then the head wrestling coach in 1998.  In 1990, Randy would move on to Conant High School where he was a department chair, dean of students, wrestling coach, and girls golf coach.  In 1998, Randy would become the athletic director at Leyden High School, a position he held until his retirement in 2018.  Randy’s willingness to serve, and his devotion to the sport of wrestling, resulted in Randy being honored by a sport that was so meaningful to him.  IWCOA named him the Administrator of the Year in 2000, and they also inducted Randy into their Hall of Fame that same year.  He was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Illinois Chapter in 2016.  Also in 2016, Randy was honored by the IHSA as the State Wrestling Tournament Grand Marshal. Additionally, Randy served the IHSA as a member of the Athletic Administrators Advisory Committee; moreover, he was the IHSA Wrestling State Final Head Table Supervisor for sixteen years and the Wrestling State Tournament Director for four years. He also served the NFHS as a member of the Wrestling Rules committee for four years. The Leyden Board of Education has also honored Randy in a number of ways: first, they named the Leyden Eagle Wrestling Invite the Randy Conrad Invitational in 2018, and they also named the school’s wrestling room The Randy Conrad Wrestling Room in 2018.

Mike Morris, current executive director of the Illinois Athletic Directors Association, said, “His ability to examine a situation, evaluate the options, and promote a positive consensus among the other 13 athletic directors in his conference was remarkable.  Randy was extremely helpful to all his fellow athletic administrators with his conference, especially the “rookie” athletic directors who he has volunteered to mentor during his tenure.”

IADA Hall of Fame member, Tim Feigh stated, “Everyone that he came in contact with respected Randy. People knew that he would deal with any situation in a fair and direct manner. At the top of his list of priorities was the quality and integrity of Leyden and its athletic programs. He did whatever he could to protect student athletes and their right to participate, but when he had to make the tough call and act in his role as disciplinarian, he did so without hesitation. Randy’s decisions were fair and in the best interest of the student, the sport, and the school.”

Randy’s extensive contributions to high school athletics and his dedication to the IADA are a few of the many reasons that led to his selection as a member of the IADA Hall of Fame.