Stadium field to be named for Tjeerdsma

tjeerdsma

Mel Tjeerdsma

It's official. When the Bearcats run out under the lights this fall for their first night football game at home in decades they will sink their cleats into the new synthetic turf of a field named for Head Coach Mel Tjeerdsma.

Northwest's Board of Regents approved the proposal to name the field after Tjeerdsma, who has led the Bearcats to two Division II national championships, following a presentation by Athletics Director Bob Boerigter during a public board meeting on Thursday, June 28.

In his remarks, Boerigter summarized Tjeerdsma's stellar career at Northwest and said that, over 13 seasons, the coach has "set a standard by which all future members of (his) profession will be measured."

Naming a major facility after a serving coach or administrator is unusual, Boerigter said, but not unheard of. Other examples in college sports include Pat Summit Court at the University of Tennessee, Coach K Court (for Coach Coach Mike Krzyzewski) at Duke University and Devaney Center at the University of Nebraska, which was named for Bob Devaney while he served as athletics director there.

Tjeerdsma, who has a .786 winning percentage, has captured eight MIAA championships and advanced to the NCAA playoffs nine times. Under his leadership, the Bearcats reached the national title game four times and won back-to-back national championships in 1998 and 1999.

Dedication ceremonies for the newly named field will be held this fall.

For more information, please contact:

Anthony Brown,
News Bureau Manager
E-Mail: abrown@nwmissouri.edu
Phone (660) 562-1704
Fax (660) 562-1900

Northwest Missouri State University
219 Administration Building,
800 University Drive
Maryville, MO 64468

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