SPRINGFIELD — Dennis Collins, the only executive director in the 25-year history of the North Coast Athletic Conference, died of a heart attack Sunday, June 14.
Mr. Collins, 63, oversaw the expansion of the conference from six teams to 10 teams. In 1988, Wittenberg University and Earlham College joined the league, and in 1998, Hiram College and Wabash College entered the NCAC.
Wittenberg Athletic Director Garnett Purnell said Collins worked well with balancing the needs of the college presidents with that of the athletic directors, the faculty representatives and other administrators.
“Trying to find someone to replace Dennis will be extremely difficult,” Purnell said. “I’d like to think we’re one of the top three Division III conferences, and to lose someone with all that experience, all that history, it’s going to be a very tough task to find someone to take his place.”
Mr. Collins’ reach extended beyond the NCAC, Purnell said. He helped organize the NCAA D-III Commissioners Association in 1989, and from 1992-96, he served on the NCAA Council, the NCAA’s board of directors.
Mr. Collins was a graduate of Ohio State and served four years in the U.S. Coast Guard. He is survived by his wife, Jeanne, and three grown children: Jennifer, Kate and Michael.
Visitation will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. and 6 to 9 p.m. Wednesday at McGorray-Hanna Funeral Home in Westlake. A funeral mass will be held on Thursday at 10 a.m. St. Mark Catholic Church in Cleveland.
Contact this reporter at (937) 328-0351 or djablonski@coxohio.com.
