Deromedi Announces Retirement as CMU Athletics Director
8/17/2005 12:00:00 AM | General
Aug. 17, 2005
Deromedi Career Timeline
Deromedi by the Numbers
MOUNT PLEASANT -- A highly successful coach and administrator, Central Michigan University Athletics Director Herb Deromedi, has announced his retirement effective Jan. 15, 2006.
Deromedi's tenure with CMU athletics spans five decades since joining the Chippewas as an assistant football coach in 1967.
Following 11 seasons as an assistant, Deromedi became the most successful head coach in Mid-American Conference (MAC) football history with 110 victories during a 16-year career from 1978 to 1993. He has served as CMU's athletics director since June 1, 1994.
"I've had the opportunity to serve this university in various capacities for 38-plus years," Deromedi said. "CMU has a great history of academic excellence and leadership. I've seen tremendous growth in academics and athletics, along with the overall prestige of the university on a state, regional and national level.
"This could not have been accomplished without the efforts of many -- including the university administration, the Board of Trustees, the academic community and students. It also includes staff and people who take pride in building and serving the university. It takes cooperation at all levels in order to achieve success. I feel the time is right and it gives President (Michael) Rao some options in his search for a replacement. It may also give people on my staff an opportunity to be a part of those options."
One of Deromedi's primary charges as athletics director was the improvement of CMU facilities, including the expansion of Kelly/Shorts Stadium.  | |
During his reign as the head of Chippewa athletics, Deromedi has worked tirelessly on the extensive improvements and expansion of CMU facilities. At the same time, Chippewa teams have enjoyed much success in the classroom and on the fields of competition.
Work on the $28 million expansion of Kelly/Shorts Stadium (including the addition of 10,000 seats and a new press box) was finished in time for the first home game in 1998, and the new indoor Athletic Complex opened in March 1999. It features two bays -- one for indoor track and the other for football, soccer, baseball, softball and field hockey -- along with a 7,100-square-foot weight room and an athletics academic center.
The CMU Softball Complex underwent a facelift under the guidance of Deromedi and new facilities have been completed for baseball (Theunissen Stadium), track and field (Lyle Bennett Track and Jack Skoog Indoor Track), soccer (CMU Soccer Complex), and field hockey (CMU Field Hockey Complex).
"Under Herb Deromedi's direction, CMU's athletic teams have prospered, accumulating Mid-American Conference championships and significant individual and team accolades, including awards for academic, athletic and coaching performances," CMU President Michael Rao said. "These successes are a testament to Herb's leadership of an outstanding athletic department filled with talented coaches and student-athletes."
Under Deromedi, a total of 34 teams have captured MAC championships, including the most ever in any 10-year period in school history. The Chippewas won an incredible seven titles during the 2003-04 school year alone. The CMU men's teams captured their first-ever Reese Trophy as the MAC all-sports champion for the 2000-01 school year.
The success isn't limited to the athletic arena as CMU has earned the MAC Academic Achievement Award for highest cumulative grade point average by a conference school in seven of the last eight years. In 2001, CMU received the Division I-A Athletic Directors Association CHAMPS Life Skills Program of Excellence Award, and at the time, CMU was one of only 24 schools nationally to be honored.
"The accolades that CMU's athletic programs have earned do not just 'happen.' They can only come about under the leadership of a capable individual who is focused on leading his team to the highest level of success," Rao added. "I thank and applaud Herb for his tremendous efforts during his 38 years of service."
After six years as a high school football coach, Deromedi joined Roy Kramer's football staff at CMU for the 1967 season. He was promoted to defensive coordinator in 1969, a position he held when the Chippewas won the 1974 Division II national championship.
When Kramer left CMU to become the athletics director at Vanderbilt, Deromedi was named the 16th head coach in CMU history. He led the Chippewas for 16 seasons and CMU won three MAC titles under his tutelage -- 1979, 1980 and 1990. Deromedi was named MAC Coach of the Year in 1980 and 1990.
In addition to his 110 career victories ranking first in MAC history, his 90 league victories are also a MAC record. When he left CMU's sideline, Deromedi ranked 15th nationally among active coaches in terms of winning percentage (.657, 110-55-10).
Deromedi won three MAC titles as CMU's football coach. | |
Two of the biggest wins in school history were with Deromedi on the sideline as CMU defeated No. 18-ranked Michigan State, 20-3, in 1991 and then repeated the feat in 1992 by a 24-20 count.
A total of 71 Chippewas gained first team All-MAC honors under Deromedi, including future NFL players Curtis Adams, Ray Bentley, Jim Bowman, Brock Gutierrez, Gary Hogeboom, Robert Jackson and Scott Rehberg.
Deromedi has served on the NCAA Football Rules Committee (chair in 2003), the Michigan Chapter of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame, the NCAA Division I Strategic Planning Cabinet, and the NCAA Football Issues Committee.
A 1956 graduate of Royal Oak High School, Deromedi received both a bachelor's degree (1960) and a master's degree (1961) from the University of Michigan where he played freshman football.
He is a member of the Royal Oak High School Hall of Fame, the Central Michigan University Athletic Hall of Fame and the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame.
Deromedi and his wife, Marilyn, have three adult children: David, Tom and Lori. They also have a grandson, Noah.