Doug Thornton, the regional vice president for SMG which manages the Superdome, received the Dave Dixon Louisiana Sports Leadership Award from the Louisiana Sports Writers Association.
He spearheaded the rebuilding and reopening of the Louisiana Superdome following Hurricane Katrina.
“Doug Thornton leaped out at our committee as a wonderful choice for the Dixon Award,”said LSWA president Kent Lowe. “It is a fitting reward, named after the man chiefly responsible for building the Superdome and presented to the man chiefly responsible for rebuilding it.”
The Dixon Award is named for the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame member credited with, among other sports entrepreneurial accomplishments, being the “father of the Louisiana Superdome” and also bringing the Saints to New Orleans in the 1960s. Dixon, still a resident of New Orleans, was enshrined in the Hall of Fame in 1999.
The Superdome sustained severe damage during Hurricane Katrina and Thornton coordinated the biggest stadium reconstruction project in U. S. history. The reopening of the Dome on Sept. 25, 2006 with the Saints winning a nationally televised game stands as a milestone in the recovery of storm ravaged South Louisiana. The event enthralled the state, captivated the national news and sports media and captured the public’s imagination, signaling that Louisiana was climbing back on its feet, still with some New Orleans-style bounce in its step.
Thornton persevered despite the near destruction of his own home. A total of 35 subcontractors and 850 workers toiled around the clock and seven days a week to rebuild the Dome. Through Thornton’s ingenuity, major improvements to the Dome were funded and incorporated into the repairs.
The Superdome was declared football ready in less than seven months and the entire football season was saved including the home games of the Saints and Tulane, plus the Bayou Classic, New Orleans Bowl, LHSAA football championships and the Sugar Bowl.
Thornton is a native of Shreveport and a graduate of McNeese State. Under his watch at SMG, dating back to 1997, the Superdome has continued to attract national events and the New Orleans Arena has flourished. Thornton also oversees SMG managed facilities in Kenner, Baton Rouge, Gonzales, Shreveport and Bossier City.
During his collegiate career, Thornton was a member of McNeese’s Independence Bowl championship team in 1976 as a quarterback and he was also a letterman in baseball.
