Profile final

Regardless of the sport, regardless of the time, the presence of Director of Athletics Allen Ackerman at sporting events at UW-Oshkosh is constant.

Dressed in khaki’s, black scuffed loafers and a pullover with the Titan logo embroidered on the chest, fans, parents and athletes can expect to see the former college offensive lineman at Titan home games.

Ackerman received his undergraduate degree in physical education from Ohio University in Athens, Ohio. While in Athens on a partial football scholarship, Ackerman lettered twice, once in football and once in track.

Ackerman taught for a year and a half at a high school before returning to Ohio to work on his masters and as a graduate assistant football coach.

Prior to accepting the position at UWO, Ackerman was athletic director at Elmhurst College in Elmhurst, Illinois for 14 years. Ackerman also spent some time coaching track and football at Elmhurst.

During his 14-year stay at UWO, Ackerman has minimized controversy and conflict and maximized the success of the athletic department and the development of its sports teams.

Ackerman’s tenure at UWO has yielded 13 of the school’s 31 Division III national championship teams.

Ackerman’s success extends past the renovation of the attitude about sports at UWO. He has also been able to successfully push for the renovation and reconstruction of its facilities.

“I think that the thing that I am most proud of at UWO is the start of the remodeling and reconstruction of the facilities at UWO,” said Ackerman.

In the summer of 2004 renovations began to makeover Titan Stadium into the “Oshkosh Sports Complex” with the installation of a new field turf surface as part of phase I of the project.

Renovation is slated to continue this spring with the installation of a new track surface to cover the paved track surrounding the field.

Shortly after the Oshkosh Sports Complex project started, construction began on a new facility, Alumni Stadium, for the UWO baseball team.

Both projects are supported solely by fundraised dollars.

Still, Ackerman has seen his fair share of conflict and headaches within the department during his tenure.

Former women’s soccer coach Scott Haywood resigned unexpectedly without explanation leaving a cloud of uncertainty around the situation

Longtime softball coach Sharon Panske was fired from her position following unrest among athletes regarding her style of coaching.

Finally, there is the seemingly endless behavior of Tom Lechnir, UWO head baseball coach for the past 13 years.

First, there were the allegations of both physical and verbal abuse from former player Eric Servais in 2001.

Then, most shockingly, there was the “base brawl” last season during the second game of a doubleheader versus UW-Whitewater. Lechnir and former Milwaukee Brewer reliever Doug Henry were identified as the two primary figures in the incident.

Through it all, building and renovating, controversy and even the loss of his wife three years ago to a battle with cancer, Ackerman has been constant in both his presence and his judgment.

“I am proud of being a part of putting Oshkosh on the map athletically and for hosting NCAA championships,” said Ackerman.

Constant is a word that speaks of progress and forward thinking.

Ackerman is constant and he is not finished. Look to the future and you see constant projects on the horizon, such as hosting the NCAA outdoor track and field championships and plans to renovate the softball team facilities.

Look to the future and you will see one thing for sure, Ackerman, cheering for the teams that he supports.