Mike Muska knew about Oberlin's place in the history of physical education before he applied for the job of director of athletics and physical education at the College.
"Oberlin physical educators were at the forefront in shaping many of the ideas and programs that continue to influence physical education today," says Muska, who landed the job and began his new duties July 1.
An experienced physical educator and track coach, Muska is more than a sports-history buff. He majored in history as an undergrad at the University of Connecticut and graduated with honors. During his coaching career, which he began after earning a master's in sports administration and sports studies at the University of Massachusetts, he taught courses in the history of American sport and physical education. Muska knows the history, and he's determined to make it repeat itself.
"Whether it be in varsity athletics, club sports and intramurals, or the emerging principles of wellness, Oberlin can again become a leader as we enter the 21st century."
Muska came to Oberlin from Milton Academy in Milton, Massachusetts, where he was a college counselor and track coach. Before joining Milton, he was assistant athletics director and associate director of admissions at Brown University from 1987-1993. He is the former head coach of the men's and women's cross country and track and field teams at Auburn and Northwestern universities, and he has coached at Cornell and UMass-Amherst.
Now he is responsible for all aspects of Oberlin's 20 intercollegiate teams (10 men's and 10 women's sports), intramurals, and physical education and recreation. He recalls his first several months on the job as "a great challenge, with all the new people to meet, a new school, a new state, and a new staff. But now the transition time is over, and we need to get down to the task at hand of turning the athletic programs in the right direction."
To engineer the turnaround, Muska stresses support and unity, and he practices what he preaches. He can be found at nearly every athletic event, interacting with the student-athletes, the coaches, and staff and faculty members. He is the teams' biggest supporter, and others are following suit.
Muska's primary goal is getting the athletic programs back into the top tier of the North Coast Athletic Conference without jeopardizing Oberlin's academic tradition.
"It is time for people to start thinking of Oberlin not as a institution with great academics but as an institution with great academics and athletics."
- Back to the ATS January 1999 Table of Contents