When one thinks of Oakland University athletics, one of the first names that comes to mind is that of second-year Director of Athletics Tracy Huth. After all, Huth has been involved with Oakland University athletics as a student-athlete, coach, and administrator since the 1980-81 academic year. Huth was appointed Director of Athletics in October 2007 after serving as the interim director for one year, and immediately put in motion an ambitious plan to enhance the overall Oakland University athletics experience, both for student-athletes and fans alike. The result thus far has been a more fan-friendly atmosphere at all OU events, and increasing student-athlete success both athletically and academically. During his first year as OU's Director of Athletics, Oakland placed more student-athletes on The Summit League Academic All-League teams than any other institution, and Golden Grizzly teams captured league titles in men's and women's soccer and men's and women's swimming and diving; and saw the school's first individual league champion in track and field. The OU basketball programs were the only teams in The Summit League to beat ranked opponents, and Oakland University also played host to The Summit League women's soccer and men's and women's swimming and diving championships. In the coming year, OU will host the men's soccer championship and will once again host the men's and women's swimming and diving championships. Prior to making the move into the athletics director's office, Huth served over nine years as an Associate Athletics Director and Assistant Athletics Director, including a one-year stint OU's Senior Associate Athletics Director where he was in charge of supervising the department's operations. While an assistant director, Huth's primary responsibilities were in the areas of program supervision, student-athlete services, and compliance. During his time as a departmental administrator, Huth has been involved in several league and national committees. In March 2006, Huth was appointed to a four-year term on the NCAA Swimming & Diving Committee. He has also served on the NCAA's Academic/Eligibility/Compliance Cabinet (2001-05) and served as the tournament manager for the first and second-round games in the 2006 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament hosted by Oakland at the Palace of Auburn Hills. Huth currently serves as a member of The Summit League Joint Council, the league's Budget Committee and Competition Committee, and also chairs the Men's & Women's Swimming & Diving Sport Committee. The strides made by the athletics program during Huth's tenure should come as no surprise to anyone familiar with his track record as a coach. Huth spent 11 years as the head coach of OU's women's swimming and diving program, establishing the Oakland program as the premier program in the country at the Division II level. His teams finished in the top three nationally in nine consecutive seasons, winning five consecutive national championships and three consecutive second-place finishes from 1990-97. Huth was named the NCAA Division II Coach of the Year three times for his team's accomplishments. Only Kenyon College (17 consecutive Division III titles from 1984-2000) and Truman State University (six consecutive Division II titles from 2001-06) have posted more consecutive national championships in women's swimming and diving, while only Texas (five consecutive Division I titles from 1984-88) and Stanford (five consecutive Division I titles from 1992-96) have matched the total of five straight, which stood as a Division II record until 2006. Huth began his coaching career at Oakland in 1985 as an assistant coach with the men's swimming and diving program, a position he held for two years before taking the reins of the women's program. Huth remained as the women's head coach until 1998, when he stepped down to focus on his position as Assistant Athletics Director as OU made the move to Division I. But before Huth became well-known as the highly-successful coach of OU's women's swimming program, he earned recognition as one of the top swimmers in the nation. Arguably the most accomplished student-athlete in OU history, Huth earned a rare 24 All-America honors, claiming 13 individual national championships. Huth was a four-time national champion in both the 200- and 400-yard individual medley, and was named NCAA Division II Swimmer of the Year three times. He remains the only swimmer in NCAA history to have won both the 200 and 400 IM four times. In 2002 Huth had the unique honor of being selected to the Oakland University Lepley Hall of Honor for a second time. He and is the only member to be enshrined twice. Originally named to the Hall in 1990 for his swimming accomplishments as a student-athlete, his second honor was in recognition of his coaching accomplishments. A native of Yakima, Wash., Huth is a member of the North Oakland Family YMCA Advisory Board and the March of Dimes "Walk America Troy site committee. He earned his bachelor's degree in secondary education from Oakland in 1985, and in 1996, Huth earned his master's degree in sports administration from Wayne State University. He currently resides in Clarkston and has two children, Kara and Chance. |
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