Florida Tech’s Bill Jurgens Named VP for University Relations
Longtime Athletic Director Will
Shift to New Role in May
MELBOURNE, FLA. — William “Bill” Jurgens, who has served as athletic director at Florida Tech since 1976, has been promoted to vice president for university relations, effective this May.
During his 44 years as the guiding force behind the university’s athletics programs – a tenure that makes him the longest-serving athletic director in Sunshine State Conference history – Jurgens helped build Florida Tech’s 18 varsity sports involving more than 500 student-athletes.
Associate Athletic Director Pete Mazzone will assume the role of interim athletic director as the university launches a nationwide search for Jurgens’ successor.
Jurgens has been at the university for over 50 years, arriving in 1969 when he was hired as the first head crew coach. He is also an alumnus, earning his Master of Science Education degree at Florida Tech in 1979.
“Bill has demonstrated sustained excellence for five decades,” said Florida Tech President Dwayne McCay. “He has helped shape generations of scholar-athletes, strengthening minds as well as bodies, and forged important relationships on the Space Coast and beyond. We look forward to watching him excel in his new role.”
As vice president for university relations, Jurgens will continue to utilize those connections – and add new ones.
“I look forward to doing all I can to assist President McCay in accomplishing his overall goals for Florida Tech,” he said. “I am excited about the opportunity to build relationships, enhance awareness and increase support for our great university.”
The Panthers achieved great success under Jurgens’ leadership.
Florida Tech won five NCAA national championships – two in men’s soccer, two in women’s golf and one in swimming. Panther teams have won 35 Sunshine State Conference championships, seven SSC individual championships, 20 Southern Intercollegiate Rowing Association championships and 27 Florida Intercollegiate Rowing Association championships.
Additionally, the Panthers won 17 Dad Vail national championships under Jurgens’ tutelage. Amongst those victories were two men’s and women’s overall championship titles in 1982 and 1987 and three men’s overall titles from 1986-88. His tenure was also marked by Varsity Eight wins over Temple University in 1982 and 1988.
Jurgens is a member of the Florida Tech Sports Hall of Fame, the Jacksonville University Athletic Hall of Fame and the Space Coast Sports Hall of Fame. He also earned the Space Coast Sports Hall of Fame’s Visionary Award in May 2013. In 2016, Jurgens received the Jack Kelly Award from USRowing, which recognizes an individual who has accomplished superior achievements in rowing or serves as an inspiration to American rowers.
He served on the board of directors of the U.S. Rowing Association from 1976–87 and was a member of the U.S. Olympic Rowing Committee from 1977–80. He was named to the Dad Vail Rowing Association board of directors in 1990 and continues to serve in this capacity. Jurgens served on the first NCAA Women’s Rowing Championship Committee from 1996–1999 and from 2004–2006 served as chair of the NCAA Division II Women’s Rowing Committee.
Jurgens and his wife, Susy, live in Melbourne. They have two grown children and three grandchildren.
###
