Sports
Page 11
THE CURRENT
Moving on: Tim Rucks becomes a part of the Athletics Administration Nico krueger Staff Reporter
As most of you probably saw in an e-mail two weeks ago, after 18 seasons as Head Football Coach Tim Rucks will be joining the Carthage Athletics Administration Team as Assistant Director. With nine winning seasons in the last 10 years, and the first championship in 39 years, it’s not far-fetched to say that Rucks had a hand in making the program competitive. When asked to comment on the team, Rucks said that, “I feel that I left it in much better shape than when I found it.” No stranger to Carthage football, he spent four years on the team under Head Coach Art Keller before being named first-team All-CCIW offensive tackle as a senior in 1982. He also had a one-year stint with the New York Jets. A google search can dig up the fact that Rucks isn’t just a pretty face however, graduating with a double major in English and Political Science. Although never straying too far from the CCIW area, he started as a member of the NCAA Division III Football Championship Committee in 1993 before returning to Carthage. Coaching was not something new to him before Carthage either. After spending two years as assistant head coach at Niles North High School in Chicago, Rucks worked in the same vein at North Park University in 1989.
He was quickly promoted to head coach for the 1990 season. Four years later he received his Master’s in College Administration from Northeastern Illinois University. Considering that he’s certainly no stranger to athletics, and has spent decades in the realm of coaching, whether as an assistant or head coach, one has to wonder what he’ll miss about his position: “It will be extremely hard for me as I will miss the competitive aspect of running a football program and the personal relationships I have enjoyed with my players,” Rucks said. When asked about some of his most accomplished moments, Rucks had this to say: “Most gratifying is that I have had the good fortune of impacting a lot of lives and so many players have benefited from going to Carthage and being a part of the football program, many of whom have turned out to be friends.” Although leaving behind coaching, Rucks will be assuming a slew of other responsibilities. “I am looking forward to impacting Carthage and its athletes in a different way, and I really look forward to the challenges of learning a new role.” Some of these new roles include taking on fundraising and relations with alumni, but he will still be involved with students through recruitment, student eligibility and advising. Congratulations go out to him as he starts this new journey.
Tim Rucks steps down as Red Men Head Football Coach.
print straight from your computer to the library! Copy, Scan, and Print from Google Docs with the library copiers!
CURRENT PHOTO johanna heidorn
SPORTS IN SHORT Abbey bobzin Production Designer
Men’s Basketball Friday, Nov. 30 Carthage College 70, Hope College 82 Saturday, Dec. 1 Carthage College 74, Calvin College 63
Email your print job to a library copier! Find out more at carthagecurrent.com
Friday. Dec. 7 (upcoming) Carthage College versus Coe College
Women’s Basketball Saturday, Dec. 1 Carthage College 77, Clarke University 50
Men’s Swimming Saturday, Dec. 1 Carthage College finished second at the Carthage Classic with 951 points
Women’s Swimming Saturday, Dec. 1 Carthage College won at the Carthage Classic with 1,458 points