NEWTON, Mass. – Football head coach Mike Landers has been honored by the administration of Mount Ida College as the namesake of their yearly "Exemplar" Award.
The annual award honors a faculty, administrator, or staff member who has continually demonstrated a commitment to the ideals of student leadership and engagement at Mount Ida College as evidenced by their commitment to enhancing the community through championing student life.
As a professional staff member, nobody has given more of his time and talent to creating involved and committed students at Mount Ida. Since his arrival in 2008, he has brought pride and a sense of family to the campus, pioneering the concepts of Mustang City and the Rock Fight, which are now hallmarks of the school.
Mike encourages students, both athletes and non-athletes, to reach for the highest levels of success, all in the interest of creating a Mount Ida family. He is someone that students flock to even when they have no reasonable connection, but because they know that they can count on him. He uses this connection to encourage students to get involved, do good things, and realize the best versions of themselves.
For his support of student life, the selection committee voted in 2015 to rename the award "The Mike Landers Exemplar Award."
Nominees for this award must be professional members of the Mount Ida community who support students, assist in their development, encourage their involvement, and when all is said and done make the student feel supported, connected to, and cared for. The exemplar is one who sets an example for others to follow and creates that safe space for students to feel at home.
Landers, a native of Brockton, Mass., is entering his eighth season at the helm of the Mount Ida College football program. He has led the Mustangs to an Eastern Collegiate Football Conference (ECFC) championship in 2012, and has a .707 winning percentage in conference games.
He will lead the team onto the field this Friday night for their season opener against UMass Dartmouth at 7:00 pm.