John McCarthy, founder of the Collegiate Basketball Invitational, is currently the Director of the NAIA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship in Kansas City, MO. He was appointed to this position in August of 2007. The NAIA Basketball Tournament is the original college basketball national championship and was created by Dr. James Naismith, Frank Cramer and Emil Liston in 1937 in the newly-built Municipal Auditorium.

Previously, McCarthy created McCarthy Sports, Inc. in June of 2006. Through McCarthy Sports, Inc., John handled various consulting projects, created McCarthy Sports Travel and created the Collegiate Basketball Invitational.

Formerly, he enjoyed an exciting, rewarding and very successful career in college athletics. He has served in various capacities within College Athletics, from Assistant Basketball Coach, Head Basketball Coach, Athletic Development Director and, eventually, Athletic Director.

In McCarthy’s last stint, as Athletic Director at Lynn University in Boca Raton, FL, the Fighting Knights enjoyed tremendous success on the fields of competition. During his tenure as Athletic Director, Lynn University captured two NCAA National Championships, 10 NCAA National Final Four finishes, many Sunshine State Conference regular season and tournament championships and won back-to-back Mayor’s Cups (Men’s Division) within the Sunshine State Conference – all within four years as the Athletic Director.

With over 280 NCAA Division II schools, the Fighting Knights improved in the NACDA Director’s Cup national standings each year that McCarthy served as Athletic Director: 2002-03 (75th place); 2003-04 (48th place); 2004-05 (12th place); 2005-06 (10th place).

McCarthy served as the Chair of the South Region for the NCAA Men’s Basketball Committee and was a member of the NCAA Division II Men’s Basketball National Committee from 2004-06. He also was the Chair of three Sunshine State Conference Committees: Marketing Committee (2004-06), Officials Committee (2005-06) and the Sportsmanship Task Force (2006). McCarthy was also a member of the Search Committee that helped to hire Mike Marcil as the Commissioner of the Sunshine State Conference.

Prior to Lynn University, McCarthy served as Head Basketball Coach at Wilmington College in New Castle, DE. During the course of four years as Head Coach, the Wildcats improved from nine wins his first year to 19 wins in his fourth year, while his teams earned a 3.0 or better grade point average every year. In his final year as Head Coach with the Wildcats, McCarthy also was the Director of Student Activities while also handling Job Placement and Housing for Wilmington College.

Throughout the 1990’s, McCarthy has taught college courses at Wilmington College, directed his own basketball camps, directed his own basketball coaches clinics, served as Associate Editor of the HoopScoop (national basketball publication based in Louisville), written for various basketball publications and appeared as a special guest on various radio stations.

McCarthy has been active in the community and has volunteered for the American Cancer Society, Cystic Fibrosis, the George Snow Scholarship Fund and the March of Dimes.

McCarthy holds a Bachelor’s Degree in History with a concentration in Journalism from the University of Delaware and a Master’s Degree in Sports and Athletic Administration from Lynn University. In addition, McCarthy has gained additional education through NACDA’s Leadership Conference (Atlanta, 2004) and through Leadership Boca (Boca Raton Chamber of Commerce, 2002).

McCarthy has been married to the former Christine Beach since July of 2002 and together they have a wonderful son, Sean Patrick, who was born August 27, 2003. The McCarthy’s currently reside in Kansas City, MO.