The Role of Hillsdale College Athletics
Written by Doug Goodnough
In one of my past lives, I was a sports editor of a small daily newspaper.
And it wasn’t just any daily newspaper, it was the Hillsdale Daily News, where I spent several years covering my alma mater, including many of my former classmates and coaches.
It was a natural fit, since I spent most of my college years as a sports writing intern, toiling in the bowels of the HDN newsroom churning out game stories and features. I also had the “double duty” of serving as sports editor of The Collegian. So I had the unique perspective of being a college student-athlete and also covering some of my teammates, classmates, and coaches during Chargers sporting events.
When you cover athletic teams, you get to know people at a different level. You see them at their best, at their worst, and have an appreciation for what they do.
But honestly, what impact does athletics have at Hillsdale College? That’s a question I’ve been asking a lot recently. As the editor of Arete, our new athletic donor update publication, I just finished interviewing some of Hillsdale College’s senior staff who were former student-athletes. What role did athletics play in their lives? In their careers? As leaders at Hillsdale?
Their answers were very interesting. Each had their own perspective, but the common thread is that the mission of Chargers athletics is similar to the mission of Hillsdale College. And that concept of a “team” translated well when talking about the role each plays in the operation of the College. You can read their full stories when the next issue of Arete comes out in February 2024.
What role does athletics play at Hillsdale College today?
College athletics have become much more complex over the past couple of decades. Even in the last two or three years, terms like “NIL” (name-image-likeness) and the transfer portal have become commonplace in the NCAA, even at the Division II level where Hillsdale competes. Now, Division I college coaches can recruit student-athletes at the Division II and Division III levels much like they do with high schoolers, offering perks and benefits that did not exist (at least legally) a few years ago. It certainly has impacted Hillsdale.
I have so much respect for our current Hillsdale coaches who must navigate these treacherous waters. They are asked not only to recruit academically talented student-athletes, but are also expected to keep them, see them through to graduation, and succeed on the playing field. That is no easy task, and it gets more difficult by the day.
My hat is off to coaches like Keith Otterbein, who returned to Hillsdale and helped the Chargers build a consistently winning football program both on and off the field. This was a man who was coaching at a conference rival (Ferris State) and decided to forego potentially greener pastures to help his alma mater. He spent the past 22 years developing young men the Hillsdale way. Enjoy your retirement, coach.
As an alumni athlete, I marvel at the accomplishments of our current student-athletes. And I take great pride in knowing that I can still help contribute to their efforts, albeit in a very small way.
If you are a former Hillsdale student-athlete, I hope you will consider how you can help our current student-athletes and coaches. At the very least, they want to see you, hear your stories, and learn from your experiences. I am trying to tell those stories at every opportunity I get. Show up to a game, let us know about a potential student-athlete, or financially support your program of choice.
Go Chargers!
Doug Goodnough, ’90, is Hillsdale’s director of Alumni Marketing. He enjoys connecting with fellow alumni in new and wonderful ways.
Published in November 2023