Thursday, June 5, 2008

HOFFMEYER INDUCTED TO SAC HALL OF FAME

GREENVILLE, S.C. --- Former Tusculum College Athletic Director Ed Hoffmeyer has been inducted to the South Atlantic Conference Hall of Fame, Thursday night at the Westin Poinsett Hotel in downtown Greenville. The Hall of Fame ceremonies were held in conjunction with the league’s annual meeting.

During his nine years at Tusculum (1998-2007), he emphasized the term student-athlete, which resulted in the Pioneers being one of the leaders in the SAC in honorees to the League’s Academic Honor Roll since officially joining the conference in 1998. The Pioneers have enjoyed success both on and off the field, including 15 SAC regular season championships, nine SAC Tournament titles and 20 NCAA Tournament appearances. TC was honored with 18 SAC Scholar-Athletes, 13 Conference Players of the Year and 15 SAC Freshmen of the Year. Also included are 21 All-Americans and six Academic All-Americans®.

Tusculum's 14 intercollegiate teams posted a .600 winning percentage, accounting for over 60 winning seasons, the most ever by the TC athletic department in a nine-year period. In all, the Pioneers have won over 1,400 games or matches since 1998 during his tutelage. In the 2006-07 campaign alone, 11 sports tallied winning seasons.

Tusculum’s athletic facilities experienced major renovations during Hoffmeyer’s watch. Renovations included: a new press box and grandstand areas for Pioneer Field (football/soccer), an indoor athletic practice facility and field house, and lighted soccer fields on the East end of campus. In 2004, the final construction was completed for Pioneer Park, the 2,400-seat home of Tusculum baseball, giving TC one of the finest venues of its kind in collegiate sports. The J.C. “Red” Edmonds Softball Field also received a facelift with the installation of a state-of-the-art playing surface in 2003 and the installation of lights in the spring of 2006. Coupled with Pioneer Arena (basketball/volleyball) and the Roger M. Nichols Tennis Complex, TC has been blessed to have some of the finest facilities of any small college in the nation.

For eight years (1991-98) Hoffmeyer served as athletic director at his alma mater Mars Hill College. He oversaw a rapid growth in MHC athletics, as the number of varsity sports grew from nine to 16. The Lions claimed four conference titles and boasted 16 South Atlantic Conference scholar-athletes during his tenure. Like Tusculum, he oversaw MHC’s transition into the NCAA from the NAIA in 1991.

After 20 years in private business, the 1968 Mars Hill graduate returned to his alma mater in 1988 where he served as Alumni Director for three years before accepting the athletic director’s post.

Hoffmeyer was active on a number of national and regional athletic committees. He served as national chair of the NCAA Division II Women’s Golf Championship Committee. He was a member of the NCAA Division II Athletic Directors Association’s Board of Directors and served as chairman of the South Atlantic Conference Athletic Directors Council. He was also on the NCAA II Football Southeast Region Selection Committee. In 1994, he was honored as a member of Who’s Who in Global Business.

Hoffmeyer also served as men’s golf coach at Mars Hill. His 1997-98 linksters set a school record with a 111-61 mark and for his efforts, was honored as SAC Golf Coach of the Year.

While a student-athlete at Mars Hill, Hoffmeyer was a member of the Lions’ basketball, and track and field teams. In track, he ran the intermediate hurdles, 440-yard dash and was on the two relay teams, where he held the school record in four events.

In 2007, he and his wife Linda, were named co-recipients of the Tusculum College Sports Benefactor Award, which recognizes those individuals who make outstanding contributions to Pioneer Athletics.

Hoffmeyer returned to his alma mater, where he currently serves as Director of Admissions at Mars Hill.

- SAC -