A legacy that will forever remain
Daniel Abbey
The walls of Athletics Director Herb Deromedi’s office are now empty.
And Monday he will officially be replaced by David Heeke.
But he will never be forgotten.
So while his office walls are barren, numerous walls erected on the campus of Central Michigan University will forever hold his image.
“Herb is in a category all by himself. What he has done for CMU is unmatched by anyone in the history of CMU athletics,” said former CMU football coach Roy Kramer, who hired Deromedi as an assistant coach in 1967. “Herb stands alone. He has done it all, and really carried the torch for a long time.
“You won’t see him easily replaced.”
Deromedi has been the staple of CMU athletics since he took over as head football coach in 1978 and continued to be through his tenure as athletics director that started in 1994.
From the depths of Kelly/Shorts Stadium to the pristine Indoor Athletic Complex, he has made his mark on CMU and the state of Michigan.
The past 12 years under Deromedi’s direction have produced much success. CMU has had 34 teams win MAC Championships, including seven during the 2003-2004 school year alone.
And watching those athletes succeed is something he said gave him the ultimate joy.
“I’m like everyone else, I like to celebrate,” he said. “When you see those things, inside you find yourself celebrating with that athlete, that team and that coach.”
The Champion
When fans talk CMU football, they talk Herb Deromedi.
He came to CMU in 1967 as an assistant coach under Roy Kramer. Finally in 1978 he took over as head coach and quickly made winning a habit. In his 16 years as head coach, the Chippewas had only two losing seasons.
He is the winningest coach in Mid-American Conference history with 110 wins, 90 of them in the conference. He won three MAC Championships and his team played in the California Raisin Bowl in 1990.
Perhaps one of biggest accomplishments - especially in the eyes of many CMU fans - is the team only lost to rival Western Michigan twice.
“The thing about him is that he was a great communicator,” said Mike Poff, who was the offensive line coach for CMU from 1978 to 1986. “All the players loved him and he was a great competitor.”
Two of the most famous wins in the program’s history came in back-to-back seasons against Michigan State.
The first was a 20-3 win in 1991 and the second a 24-20 win in 1992.
“I’ll always remember the bus trip coming back from the first time we beat MSU,” Deromedi said. “It seemed like we were on the bus for 10 minutes, but the part I remember more than anything else is when we came back I thought ‘Wow, this town is going to be excited,’ and there was nobody here.
“I met with some people later that night and they said they are all still down in East Lansing partying.”
The Leader
For all that Deromedi accomplished as a coach, it is probably his successes as athletics director for which he will be most remembered.
He oversaw a $28 million expansion on Kelly/Shorts Stadium that was completed in 1998, and probably his biggest feat was building the IAC in 1999.
“The IAC was the one thing that really enabled us to bring all our teams together,” he said.
Also during his tenure the softball, baseball, soccer, field hockey and track and field teams all saw upgrades to their respective facilities.
Dave Keilitz, who was the athletics director who stepped down for Deromedi to take over, said there is no one who has contributed more to CMU than Deromedi.
“He is a quality person who is always going to do the right thing,” Keilitz said. “It is never about him. It was always about what was best for CMU.”
But becoming athletics director was something Deromedi never envisioned.
By the Numbers
8.9
Points allowed by CMU football during ‘91 season, which led the nation that year
13
Consecutive winning seasons Deromedi was a part of from 1973 to 1985
41
Margin of victory in first game as head coach, a 41-0 home victory against Kent State on Sept. 9, 1978
110
Overall head coaching victories – still stands as MAC record
3
Mid-American Conference titles won as head football coach
7
Times CMU student-athletes have won the MAC Academic Achievement Award for highest cumulative grade point average since ‘98
34
Number of MAC championships the Chippewas have claimed during Deromedi’s run as athletics director
Keilitz stepped down to take a new position and thus the spot was open for him to take over.
“Becoming athletics director was really an adjustment,” Deromedi said. “It was never my ultimate goal, but I felt that if certain things were to get done, that I could get it done best as the AD as opposed to being the football coach.
“To be honest, I really missed football.”
The legacy
Deromedi will flip off the light switch in his office in Rose Arena one last time Sunday.
At midnight Heeke inherits a program still in search of guidance, yet better off because of Deromedi’s impact.
When Heeke was introduced as his predecessor Dec. 8, he said he won’t pretend to be Deromedi.
“He is an icon in this profession and we wouldn’t be here today without his leadership,” Heeke said at the press conference.
But as Deromedi steps down, don’t expect this to be the last time people hear about him.
He has talked about going to other colleges to meet with their coaching staffs and get up-to-date with the modern techniques.
And people that know him, know his competitive fire still burns.
“It’s time to pass the torch,” he said. “I look forward to (Dave) coming in and what he will be able to bring to the program and move it forward.”
When asked if he accomplished everything he hoped, he answered it in typical Deromedi fashion.
“I don’t know if I have done that yet,” he said. “I still think that there are things in my life that are still out there for me.”
