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Berkshire Steps Down as Coach, Will Remain
Athletic Director
Atlanta - The winningest Stormy Petrel has turned in his
wings.
Jack Berkshire, whose 315 wins as the head coach of the men’s
basketball team at Oglethorpe University are the most in the
school’s history, has resigned as coach of the Stormy Petrels. He
has served as Oglethorpe’s head hoops coach and director of
athletics since 1976 and will remain director of athletics. A
replacement coach has not yet been announced.
Berkshire has overseen tremendous growth in Oglethorpe athletics
and cited its new demands as an important factor in his
decision-making.
"Oglethorpe has allowed me to do something the last 22 years that
I have truly loved, coaching college basketball," said Berkshire,
57. "I will always appreciate that experience. During this period we
have expanded our overall program and nearly tripled the number of
intercollegiate sports. This move will help me focus on the athletic
department’s continued development."
When Berkshire came to Oglethorpe, the athletic program consisted
of just five teams. Under his administration, the program has grown
to 14 teams with women and men each fielding squads in seven sports.
He also initiated Oglethorpe’s membership in the prestigious
Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC), which allows
Oglethorpe athletes to compete against schools with similar
commitments to academics as well as athletics.
After his 1993-94 squad finished 20-6 and won the SCAC title,
Berkshire was named "Coach of the Year." That honor hangs on the
wall with many others garnered over the course of his career,
including being named the Atlanta Tipoff Club’s "Georgia College
Coach of the Year," National Association of Intercollegiate
Athletics (District 25) "Coach of the Year" and Georgia
Intercollegiate Athletics Conference "Coach of the Year."
"Jack Berkshire has been a valuable asset to Oglethorpe
University as head men’s basketball coach and director of
athletics," said Donald S. Stanton, president of Oglethorpe
University. "In addition to his great success on the basketball
court, he has supervised unprecedented growth in athletic programs
at Oglethorpe. He will continue to serve in that important role."
Berkshire has 447 lifetime wins as a coach, including over 400
collegiate victories, and ends his Oglethorpe campaign with a career
mark of 315-257.
Before coming to Oglethorpe, he was associate coach at the
University of Georgia. He began his college coaching career at his
alma mater Mississippi State University as freshman coach. In seven
seasons, his teams won 101 games while losing only 56, playing
against other Southeastern Conference freshmen teams and top
regional junior college teams.
As a player, Berkshire led Mississippi State to two consecutive
SEC championships and was twice named captain of the team. In his
senior season, he was voted "Outstanding Defensive Player" in the
SEC and selected as the "Outstanding Senior Athlete" at Mississippi
State.
Berkshire lives in Atlanta with his wife, Tomzie. They have two
children: John, a graduate of Oglethorpe, and Brad, a graduate of
Randolph-Macon (Va.).
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