June 2, 2010
Ferris State Athletics Director Tom Kirinovic Announces Retirement
Release courtesy of the FSU Athletics Communications Dept.
Big Rapids, Mich. - Another successful chapter in the history of Ferris State University Athletics will come to an end soon as Athletics Director Tom Kirinovic announced his retirement on Wednesday (June 2) in an afternoon press conference at the Wheeler Pavilion on the FSU campus.
Kirinovic has served as a member of the athletics department
staff for more than 27 years and been the school’s Athletics
Director since November 29, 1999. The retirement is effective
June 30 and a nationwide search for his successor will be conducted
by the university. The department’s senior
women’s administrator Keri Becker, who’s also the head
softball coach, will serve as Interim Athletics Director until a
successor is found.
“It has been my pleasure to serve the student-athletes
and coaches of this institution for over 27 years,” Kirinovic
said. “I’m proud of what we’ve been able to
achieve by working together as a team and I believe our efforts
have made alumni, boosters and fans of Bulldog Athletics proud of
what we’ve accomplished.”
Kirinovic, who has gained recognition for his skills in areas
of athletics management, public relations, marketing, and
fundraising, was appointed interim athletics director in mid-July
1999 before becoming a unanimous choice for the position.
In his 11-year tenure as athletics director, Kirinovic has
been responsible for overseeing the Bulldogs' 15-sport
intercollegiate athletics program.
Under his leadership, more than 800 student-athletes have received academic all-conference honors and more than 375 student-athletes have been tabbed as all-conference performers. The Bulldogs have also won 13 conference championships and more than 85 student-athletes have attained All-America recognition.
Additionally, in the Kirinovic era, FSU has completed or
renovated athletic facilities for basketball, football, softball,
track, volleyball, ice hockey, tennis and golf under his watch
along with developing the Bulldog Athletics Hall of Fame.
Ferris has placed four times among the nation’s top 35
programs in the Learfield Sports Directors' Cup Division II
All-Sports Standings over the past six years, including the
school’s highest finish ever at 21st in 2004-05. In the
last three years, two different FSU student-athletes have also been
chosen as the nation’s top overall student-athlete in any
sport at the Division II level with both coming from the Bulldog
football program.
“The university is appreciative of Tom’s many
years of dedicated service to Ferris,” said FSU Vice
President for Administration & Finance Jerry Scoby .
“We are most grateful for Tom’s efforts to make our
student-athletes’ experiences of the utmost quality and wish
him the very best in retirement.”
In his time as AD, 14 of FSU’s 15 teams have qualified
for NCAA National Tournament competition and five have posted their
highest-ever national finishes at the Division II level. The
Bulldogs have finished in the upper half of the Great Lakes
Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) President’s
Trophy All-Sports Standings all 11 years under Kirinovic, including
two runner-up efforts and six top three showings. He’s also
been responsible for hiring five of Ferris’ current head
coaches who presently direct 10 of FSU’s 15 varsity
programs.
“Tom has done an outstanding job of leading Ferris State
Athletics into an era of excellence and growth over the many years
he as served the University,” said hockey head coach Bob
Daniels, who’s the Bulldogs’ longest-tenured head coach
at 18 years. “He has been a mentor and friend to the coaches
who have had the pleasure to serve under him. Of the many
attributes he has brought to the department, the ones that stand
out above all others are his loyalty to the student athletes and
his devotion to making their experience a positive and productive
one.”
Prior to becoming athletics director, Kirinovic was formerly
the department’s associate athletics director since August
1994. He was originally appointed interim athletics director
on April 8, 1993, following the retirement of then athletics
director Dean Davenport. Kirinovic also served a two-year (1992-93)
stint as assistant athletics director at FSU after holding the dual
position of assistant athletics director and ice arena manager from
1987-91. In 1991, he was appointed as fundraising manager in the
department. He initially began his FSU career in August 1982,
returning to his alma mater as athletic business manager.
Along with his administrative work, Kirinovic coached the 1989
Ferris State softball team to a 17-15 overall record and its first
winning season in six years. He also logged five years of coaching
experience at Ovid-Elsie High School in Elsie, Mich., as a varsity
assistant for both football and basketball while also serving as
head coach of the school's freshmen and junior varsity baseball
program.
Kirinovic has been active in conference, regional and national
committees during his tenure at Ferris State. Most recently, he has
served on the NCAA Division II Athletics Directors Association (DII
ADA) Board of Directors along with the NCAA Division II National
Football Committee. He’s also been a member of the NCAA
Student-Athlete Reinstatement Committee and the NCAA Great Lakes
Regional Basketball Ranking Committee. Kirinovic also served as the
Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) President
for the 2005-06 athletics season.
In addition to being a member of the National Association of
Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), Kirinovic has also held
membership in the National Association of Collegiate Marketing
Administration (NACMA).
Locally, the Big Rapids (Mich.) Lions Club member is a past chair of the Mecosta-Osceola United Way Drive and a past president of the Big Rapids Public Schools' Board of Education.
Kirinovic, 55, received a bachelor's degree in business
education from Ferris in 1977 and a master's in education
administration from Central Michigan University in 1982. He
and his wife, Marge, are the parents of two sons, Blake (28) and
Matt (25), both of whom have been involved working in the athletics
field. Marge is a teacher at Riverview Elementary in Big
Rapids.
About Interim Athletics Director Keri Becker Keri Becker has
served as Ferris State’s head softball coach for the past 13
years and compiled a career 409-253-1 (.618) overall record.
She’s directed FSU to an overall GLIAC Championship (2000),
three GLIAC Tournament titles (1999, 2000 & 2005), three NCAA
Division II Great Lakes Regional Championship crowns (1998, 1999,
2008) and the three most successful seasons in the program’s
history (1997-99).
The Sanford, Mich., native played collegiate softball at
Saginaw Valley State and was a four-time all-conference
honoree. She has served as a member of the National
Championship Softball Committee and chair of the NCAA-II Great
Lakes Regional Ranking Committee during her tenure. Becker,
who was called to active United States Army duty in 2003 and served
in support of Operation Enduring and Iraqi Freedom, is a three-time
GLIAC Softball Coach of the Year. In addition to serving as
the department’s Senior Women’s Administrator, Becker
also handles NCAA compliance issues for Ferris State.
“Keri is a highly-respected member of the athletics
staff and we are extremely pleased she has agreed to take on this
additional responsibility,” Scoby said.
About The Search Process
The retirement is effective June 30 and a nationwide search for Kirinovic’s successor will be conducted by the university. The department’s senior women’s administrator Keri Becker, who’s also the head softball coach, will serve as Interim Athletics Director until a successor is found.
“We will move forward as quickly as possible to fill
this important position for the university,” Scoby
said. “That being said, we will also take the time
necessary to find a well qualified person to lead the next chapter
in our athletics program.
“If possible, we would like to have the next AD here for
the start of the fall semester,” he added.
