Gibbons, Hutchison nominated for NCAA DII 50th Anniversary Gold Award
INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana – The National Collegiate Athletic Association announced its list of nominations for the 50th Anniversary Gold Award. Among the 231 nominees are two from American International College: the late Dr. John Gibbons '77, '79 MBA, '11 HON, '19 Ed.D. and Kristen Hutchison '02, '04 MBA.
For the full list of nominees, click here to read the NCAA's release.
Per the NCAA, "This award, which is part of the division's yearlong 50th anniversary celebration…will recognize two individuals (one individual who identifies as male and one who identifies as female) who have made a positive impact in Division II. The nominees include current and former student-athletes, coaches, faculty members and administrators from active member schools and conferences who have helped shape Division II over time."
"We are proud to have nominated the late John Gibbons and Kristen Hutchison for the NCAA's 50th Anniversary Gold Award," said Director of Athletics Jessica Chapin. "These individuals represent our institution with distinction and their dedication to the values engrained in Division II have made them models for decades of student-athletes."
"I am very honored to be nominated. I love Division II and what it stands for, and I have been very fortunate to have great coaches, teammates, colleagues and student-athletes during my time at AIC," Hutchison said.
Gibbons was a trailblazer at AIC and beyond. During an outstanding football career that saw him earn the President's Cup in 1978 as AIC's leading rusher and scorer and be called "the best blocking back AIC ever had" by legendary coach Bob Burke, Gibbons' on-field play led him to a tryout with the New England Patriots.
Yet it was off the field that Gibbons had his greatest impact. A graduate of the relatively new criminal justice program at AIC led him to a career as a detective with the Massachusetts State Police, investigating gang and terrorism-related crimes and more, ultimately culminating in appointment as the first Black US Marshal for Massachusetts in the state's history. He led the operations that captured infamous gang leader James 'Whitey' Bulger as well as the security of the trial of Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokar Tsarnaev.
Even decades into his career, he valued education, teaching at various colleges and academies, and came back to AIC to earn a fourth degree – a Doctor of Education, awarded in 2019 after writing a dissertation titled "Administrative Considerations Regarding Effects of Violence Training for College Students." He retired in 2021 and was inducted into the AIC Athletics Hall of Fame in 2022 before his passing in 2023.
Hutchison has had a continuous, incredible impact on her two-time alma mater as a student-athlete and coach over more than a quarter-century. A three-sport athlete, Hutchison won Northeast-10 Conference Rookie of the Year in 1998 with women's soccer, leading the team to its first-ever NCAA Tournament berth, and won NE10 Player of the Year in 2000. Over three seasons, she became – and remains – the program's all-time leader in goals and points with 49 and 129. She also played two seasons of softball, helping the team to the 2003 NCAA Tournament.
Yet it is on the basketball court that Hutchison is most remembered. A three-year captain, Hutchison's teams made the NCAA Tournament in 2000, 2001, and 2002, winning their first-ever regional title in 2002. She set program records in assists and made free throws and led the team in assists and steals in all four seasons while leading the team to an 88-34 record.
After graduating, she joined the coaching staff, and spent four years as the program's lead assistant, helping the team to four NCAA Tournament appearances and to the 2006 NCAA Championship Game before being named head coach in 2007. Since taking over, her teams have won three NE10 titles and reached the NCAA Tournament three times. She has coached four All-Americans, including three-time honoree Dana Watts, who under Hutchison's tutelage became AIC's all-time scoring leader with 2,202 points.
Hutchison is twice a member of AIC's Athletics Hall of Fame; she was inducted individually in 2007, her first year of eligibility, and again in 2015 as part of the 2006 Women's Basketball Team. She was also inducted into the NE10 Hall of Fame in 2010.