Stanford’s own Jaquish & Kenninger Director of Athletics Bob Bowlsby was nominated for SportsBusiness Journal’s Athletic Director of the Year on March 14. The winner will be announced at the fourth annual Sports Business Awards ceremony in New York City at the Marriott Marquis on Wednesday, May 18.

Bowlsby is one of five nominees for the award, which is given to the top athletic director in the country and recognizes “outstanding achievements in sports business from March 1, 2010 through February 28, 2011,” according to sportsbusinessdaily.com. All 73 nominees across 15 different categories were selected by a committee of the editorial staff from the SportsBusiness Journal.

The other nominees are Tim Curley of Penn State, Chris Del Conte of Texas Christian University, DeLoss Dodds of Texas and Chris Hill of Utah.

After taking the reins at the Farm in April 2006 after 15 years at the University of Iowa, Bowlsby has seen the remarkable turnaround by the football program, which won a school-record 12 games this season after losing 11 games just four years ago. He now oversees 35 intercollegiate varsity teams as well as the physical education department, club sports program and the Stanford Golf Course.

Stanford has also continued its dominance of the Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup under Bowlsby, awarded to the top overall athletic program in the country; Stanford won its 16th straight Cup last spring.