Jerry West. Sam Huff. Aaron Beasley. Chuck Howley. Jeff Hostetler. Darryl Talley.

That’s just a short list of former Mountaineers who have had athletic success on the playing field after college.

But there’s another group of West Virginia University students whose athletic accomplishments have come in the field of sports leadership.

People like University of Michigan women’s gymnastics coach Bev Plocki.

Or Rob Mullens, recently named athletic director at the University of Oregon.

And don’t forget Oliver Luck, who followed up playing field success with leadership success and has returned to Morgantown as director of intercollegiate athletics.

The list also includes folks such as:

  • Mark Booras, men’s tennis coach at Tulane University;
  • Brian Cleek, vice president for partnership marketing and sales for the Harlem Globetrotters;
  • Jonathan Gibson, vice president of marketing for Penske Performance Inc;
  • Milton Richards, athletic director at California State University, Stanislaus;
  • Tracy Schoenadel, the UMass-Amherst Sponsorship Center director and former executive director of the ESPN Sports Poll;
  • Reggie Scott, head athletic trainer for the St. Louis Rams;
  • Hank Steinbrecher, a pioneer of US Soccer;
  • Joe Steranka, CEO of the PGA;
  • Michael Stroud, director of athletics facilities and operations at the University of Virginia;
  • Gary Quinn, director of business development for NBC Sports.

That’s not nearly exhaustive: from coaches to athletic directors, from league leaders to broadcast executives, WVU alumni can be found in virtually every position within the athletic world – and they all credit WVU with supplying the tools for their current success.

Plocki, who earned her bachelor’s degree in physical education and master’s degree in sports management and administration from WVU, has been the head coach of the women’s gymnastics team at the University of Michigan for 22 years. She says her time at WVU set her up for success both on and off the mat.

“WVU prepared me to be successful in sports by providing me with a top-notch education and my experience training under Coach Linda Burdette turned me into the person, coach and teacher that I am today,” Plocki said.

In her time as coach, Plocki has won 17 Big Ten championships, been to the National Collegiate Athletic Association Championships 17 times and to the super six team finals nine times. She has had six national champions, 129 All-Americans, 71 Big Ten Champions, 126 Academic All-Big Ten honorees and 87 National Association of Collegiate Gymnastics Coaches/Women Scholastic All-Americans.

Booras, who played tennis for WVU, shares Plocki’s belief that his time at WVU not only sculpted him as an athlete, but as a person. He obtained his bachelor’s degree in liberal arts and master’s degree in sports psychology at WVU.

“WVU prepared me for my future in the classroom and on the courts by teaching me traits in the areas of discipline, time management, adaptation and leadership, amongst other things,” he said.

Sometimes it is the coaches who make the most impact.

“Coach (Terry) Deremer was a great example of showing how to meet people where they are and develop good relationships with them. My time at WVU played a huge part in creating me into who I am today and I’m very grateful to Coach Deremer for the opportunity he gave me to become a student-athlete at WVU,” Booras said.

Stroud’s relationship with WVU was unique. He earned his master’s degree in sport management through an online program. Even though his time spent on the physical campus was limited, the time he spent in Morgantown with his fellow Mountaineers affected him deeply.

“I was able to develop relationships and fundamentals that will certainly last a lifetime,” he said. “The education experience at WVU provides an analytical foundation that gives the graduate an opportunity to have a holistic approach to the sports industry. It is easy to become narrow minded in the world of sports, but the approach at WVU is very global and really pushes the knowledge of the student forcing them to evaluate their own career path.”

The love and appreciation Luck, who earned his bachelor’s degree in history from WVU, has for his alma mater recently led him back to Morgantown to become WVU’s athletic director.

From his days as a starting quarterback in the National Football League, to his time working with NFL Europe and Major League Soccer, Luck has been a major player in the world of sports for many years.

“WVU prepared me well,” Luck said. “And, now I am proud to be responsible for a $60 million budget, 17 teams and the hopes and dreams of an entire state.”




By Joey Machak
WVU University Relations – News

-WVU-

jm/10/25/10

CONTACT: WVU University Relations-News
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