ZETA MU CHAPTER

Appalachian State University

BY DALTON LEE, BALDWIN WALLACE ’11

Although they haven’t been back for long, the Zeta Mu chapter at Appalachian State are striding toward being one of our fraternity’s best chapters. Not only did these men make a triumphant return to their campus, they were one of the fastest associate chapters to regain their charter. From the jump these men were built on and bonded over competition, and it showed in their spirit and determination. Shortly after assembling their associate chapter—which at one point consisted of nine App State football players and six baseball players—they were able to win greek week without losing a single event.

Led by past president, Tanner Craft, Appalachian State ’22, and current president, Ryan Lampe, Appalachian State ’22, these men continue to thrive on their campus and within athletics. Currently they have four players on the App State football team, the equipment manager for the team, an assistant quarterback coach, the assistant videographer, and their two straight IFC basketball championships were aided by the three former collegiate basketball players within their chapter. Most importantly, the men will be hosting their second annual Phi Tau Classic. This golf outing will host nearly 20 teams and be aided by 24 sponsors. As these men continue to grow and flourish, they’ll undoubtedly continue to make us proud.

ISAIAH COPPOLA, CHAPMAN ’22 LA PUENTE, CA

To study dance at Chapman University is to learn from top instructors in one of, if not, the best program in the country. Students study and train for their entire lives to gain admission to the prestigious program, which has led to many illustrious careers. For Isaiah Coppola, Chapman ’22, a passion for dance came much later in life than those who typically attend Chapman. Finding this love during his junior year of high school, Coppola stated “I didn’t realize how great it was until I had it in my life.” His ability to be accepted into the program with only three years of training showed true determination and a natural talent for the art form.

Once a student at Chapman, Coppola found himself wanting to make more male friendship and was drawn to Phi Tau by three of his close friends. Once he began rushing, he didn’t look back. Becoming incredibly close with the fellow brothers from his associate class, Coppola found himself, “succumbing to the unconditional joy of the brotherhood.” Following the completion of his undergraduate studies, Coppola hopes to put his Dance and Psychology double major to use; striving to be a Psychologist and Therapist, he would like to incorporate dance in his practice.

Are you looking for a meaningful way to spend your down time? Look no more.

Phi Kappa Tau is proud to be a philanthropic and volunteer partner of SeriousFun Children’s Network for over 25 years. Around the world, SeriousFun empowers children with serious illnesses and their families to reimagine what is possible by creating inclusive camp and recreational experiences, inspiring confidence and joy, and building community and connection.

But it’s not possible without staff and volunteers like YOU! SeriousFun is actively recruiting male volunteers and seasonal staff to help bring camp magic to life. To learn more about SeriousFun, find a camp near you, and apply for staff or volunteer positions, visit seriousfun.org

Together, we are SeriousFun

The Phi Kappa Tau Foundation offers financial assistance to offset the cost of travel to SeriousFun camps!

JASON BITSOFF, TRANSYLVANIA ’94 PITTSBURGH, PA PRESIDENT OF BUSINESS OPERATIONS, CHIP GANASSI RACING

For many individuals, working for an organization like the Houston Rockets or the Nashville Predators would be a dream position, coming along once in a lifetime. For Jason Bitsoff, Transylvania ’94, these were merely the start of a long career working for some of the biggest names in sports and entertainment. Along with the Rockets and Predators, Bitsoff has held positions with Feld Entertainment, Georgetown University, and is now the President of Business Operations for Chip Ganassi Racing. In his current role, Bitsoff is responsible for bringing in commercial support and sponsorship revenue for one of the most successful racing organizations in the world. Chip Ganassi Racing has 242 race wins across 10 leagues, including Indy Car and Nascar.

Prior to building an outstanding career, Bitsoff honed his leadership and teamwork skills with the Theta chapter of Phi Kappa Tau. As an undergraduate member, he held the positions of community service chair, rush chair, vice president of alumni relations, and was IFC president during his senior year. Following his time at Transylvania, Bitsoff earned his master's degree in sports administration from Ohio University. Of his time in Phi Tau, Bitsoff stated, “I attribute a lot of my professional growth and confidence to being a part of Phi Tau. It gave him comfort and the ability to ask questions.”

Currently Bitsoff lives in Pittsburgh with his wife, Katherine, and their son Jackson. The family has two black labs.

BRAD SUTTON, TRANSYLVANIA ’93

As an undergraduate, did you know you wanted to work in athletics? To be honest, as an undergraduate, I didn’t even know about all the careers available in athletics. I went to Transylvania University, a smaller DIII (at that time NAIA) school, which obviously would not have had a large athletics administration staff. So, the idea of working in sports was foreign to me, and I thought what few jobs I knew of were reserved for former athletes. What I realized was that skills like good writing and critical thinking are transferrable to most career paths. I’ve been lucky to be able to combine those strengths with my love of sports.

What compelled you to join Phi Kappa Tau, and how did your experience impact your years as an undergraduate student? Entering college, I knew I wanted to “go Greek,” and after the first rush events, I knew I wanted to be a Phi Tau. The experience really enhanced my entire college career. Whether it was just the fun times had hanging out with my brothers or the personal development it provided via leadership roles in the chapter, it was a decision I would make again today.

In your work with the Doak Walker Award and the Doak Walker Legends Award, you worked with legends like Willie Mays, Bill Russell and Joe Montana. What was it like to work with men who are heralded among the greats of their respective sports? Getting to work with athletes who are regularly in the GOAT conversations of their respec- tive sports is fascinating. What you learn is that while they are amazingly talented athletically, it’s their leadership on and off the field that brings them to the pinnacle of their sports and into the “best-of” conversations. Meeting legends is exciting, but at some point, you understand that it’s part of your job and you have to handle it all in a professional manner.

You also grow accustomed to it. One of my first interactions with a “star” of any type was when I worked backstage at a WWE event in Lexington, Kentucky, and I was indeed star struck by “Stone Cold” Steve Austin and The Rock, but again, over the years, you just adjust to these things. That said, I know that I am blessed to get these experiences that some people can’t even imagine.

Do you believe that your time in Phi Kappa Tau helped prepare you for success in your career? If so, in what ways? I do. I think a fraternity puts you in situations where you learn to communicate with and interact with all types of personalities. It prepares you to do the same in the “real world.” I also think that serving as Rush Chair for the chapter helped me grow my leadership skills.

Do you have any advice for our undergraduate brothers who aspire to careers as athletic directors? Just show up and keep showing up. You usually have to start as a volunteer and that certainly takes some sacrifice, but it is so important. If you attend a school with an athletic department, reach out and start helping as early as possible in your college career. I have students show up at the start of their freshman years and they usually have the most success long term.

Of all the events you’ve been a part of throughout your career— NBA Finals, NCAA Men's Basketball Tournaments and the NCAA Final Four, to name a few—which was your favorite? My personal favorite would actually be the 2009 Hawaii Bowl. By that point, I had worked at SMU for a decade and the Mustangs had not been to a bowl in 23 years. To be part of the group that helped break that drought and to feel the elation from the fans, students, players and coaches, it was unmatched. Spending a week in Hawaii at Christmas isn’t a bad thing, either!

In late February of this year, the NBAs best gathered together in Salt Lake City. Amidst the snowcapped mountains, beautiful city streets, countless celebrities, and basketball legends, they celebrated All-Star Weekend. The historically quiet Salt Lake City erupted into the mecca of culture for four days. The weekend saw a G-League player dominate the slam dunk challenge, a performance by rapper Post Malone, and Lebron James’s first loss as an All-Star team captain.

BY DALTON LEE, BALDWIN WALLACE ’11

mong all the chaos, relishing in every moment was Mike Goodkind, Boston Grad AM. As the In-Arena Host for the Utah Jazz, Goodkind had the opportunity to act as the host for Sunday night’s All-Star Game. Far from the average Sunday at work, Goodkind was living out a dream held since his youth.

Growing up as a Knicks and Yankees fan, Goodkind realized he wanted to work in sports at a young age. He has fond memories of attending sporting events with his dad and would insist that he wanted to be down on the court or field with all the athletes. Goodkind wasted no time in pursuing his dream, getting permission from teachers and broadcasting his first game during his sophomore year of high school. Maintaining that drive into his undergraduate education, Goodkind started working for BU TV at Boston University as a sophomore. It was also this year that birthed the dream of starting a new chapter of Phi Tau in Boston. Having first been exposed to our fraternity through his brother, Daniel Goodkind, Franklin & Marshall ’13, he grew incredibly close with the men in the Xi chapter and wished he could have those experiences for himself. Finding other like-minded individuals, the group contacted the Executive Offices and expressed their interest in forming a new chapter. Getting the go ahead and added support from our recruitment officers, the chapter had 20 men after only a few events. It was then that Goodkind knew this was for real. As the associate chapter continued to grow and find their footing, Goodkind completed his undergraduate studies and set out for LA to pursue a position with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Throughout his career, Goodkind has held positions with the Red Sox, Fox Sports, Houston Rockets, and finally landed his dream role with the Utah Jazz.

Back in Salt Lake City on February 19, all his hard work and drive had finally come to fruition. Goodkind discussed the honor of getting to meet celebrities and be in the presence of NBA legends. On his feelings during the event, he expressed, “On Sunday when I was hosting, the courtside was overwhelming—Fat Joe, Kareem, Doctor J, Janelle Monae—that brought a lot of excitement, but the pressure was high. Once the game was going, the adrenaline took over. It went by in a blur, and I barely got to talk to anyone.”

Although he has yet to be initiated, Goodkind embodies the Phi Tau spirit and mentality. It is the hope of our organizations leadership that we will be able to hold a special initiation ceremony for Goodkind at this year's National Convention in Las Vegas.

BY CHARLIE BALL, MIAMI ’82

PAUL NEWMAN (1) OHIO ’43

While Paul Newman is known as an actor and philanthropist, he was also a noted figure in Indy car racing. Partnership with Carl Haas, Newman/Haas Racing was one of the most successful teams in Indy car racing during the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s. The team won 105 CART/Champ Car races and eight season championships.

was also a member of the star-studded 1960 Olympic Gold Medal team. Imhoff played 12 seasons in the NBA, making it to the All-Star team in 1967.

BOB BOYD (4)

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA ’49 title and set a world record in the decathlon in 1931. As track coach at USC, he led 7 teams to NCAA championships in 11 years.

A standout player and 3-year letterman at USC, Boyd went on to a successful coaching career at his alma mater and at Mississippi State. He is a member of the University of Southern California's Athletic Hall of Fame and the PAC12 Conference Men's Basketball Hall of Honor.

BILL MALLORY (7)

MIAMI ’54

Mallory played for coaches Ara Parseghian and John Pont at Miami. As a coach, he led winning programs at Miami, Colorado and Northern Illinois before becoming the winningest football coach in Indiana University history. His teams were ranked in the top at three different schools, and he won four of 10 bowl appearances.

PETE NEWELL (2) CALIFORNIA-BERKELEY ’58

Initiated as head basketball Coach at California-Berkeley, Pete Newell is one of the most important figures in basketball. He led California to the NCAA title in 1959, and a year later coached the gold medal-winning U.S. team at the 1960 Summer Olympics—a team that would be inducted as a unit to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010. After his coaching career ended, he ran a world-famous instructional basketball camp and served as a consultant and scout for several National Basketball Association (NBA) teams.

DARRALL IMHOFF (3) CALIFORNIA-BERKELEY ’58

A star player and All American on Pete Newell’s 1959 NCAA championship team at Cal. He

JOHNNY BAKER (5)

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA ’29

A member of the College Football Hall of Fame, Baker was a 2-time All-American at USC and letterman in 1929, 1930, and 1931. He also played in the 1931 and 1932 Rose Bowls. After coaching at Northern Iowa and the University of Denver, he became head football coach at Sacramento State for four years and remained there as Athletic Director for the remainder of his career.

JESS MORTENSEN (6)

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA ’28

Mortensen earned eight varsity letters at USC in basketball, football and track. He played on the 1930 Rose Bowl-winning football team and was captain of the 1930 NCAA championship track team. He won the 1929 NCAA javelin

BOB E. SMITH SACRAMENTO STATE ’64

He played on the PGA Tour from 1968-1981 and was in the top-60 on the money list 10 times. He went on to be an exempt player on the European Tour (1984-1990) and then on the Champions Tour (1994-1999). As an amateur, he won the prestigious titles of the Western Amateur Championship twice, Porter Cup twice, and the California State Amateur title. Smith has been a PGA of America Member for 38 years and during that time has received the award as Southern California PGA Teacher of the Year (Northern Chapter). He has also twice received the award as Southern California PGA Senior Player of the Year. He headed the Ventura College golf program for 10 years and is now an assistant coach.

This list of some of Phi Kappa Tau’s members who have notable careers in athletics is not exhaustive. We welcome recommendations for others who should be included among distinguished Phi Taus in sports.

ELLIOTT AVENT

NC STATE ’75

In his 27th season as head baseball coach for the North Carolina State Wolfpack, Avent has taken two of his teams to the College World Series. He was previously head coach for 8 seasons at New Mexico State. He was National Coach of the Year in 2003 and was recently admitted to the New Mexico State Athletic Hall of Fame.

JOHN EDWARDS (8)

OHIO STATE ’57

Edwards was the leading hitter for the Ohio State Buckeyes baseball team in 1958 and made his MLB debut with the Cincinnati Reds in 1961. Edwards had four hits and 2 RBIs in the Reds’ losing battle in the 1961 World Series. He played seven seasons for the Reds and retired from the Houston Astros in 1974. He was a 3-time All Star and 2-time Gold Glove winner.

JOHN BERADINO (9)

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA ’36

Best known as the actor who played Dr. Steve Hardy for many seasons on the long-running daytime drama, General Hospital, Beradino attended USC on a football scholarship and then switched to baseball. He had a notable career in MLB between 1939 and 1952 with three years off during his service in World War II. He played for the St. Louis Browns from 1938 to 1947 and was on the 1948 World Series-winning Cleveland Indians team.

SAM VOINOFF (10)

PURDUE ’33

Coached the Purdue golf teams to one NCAA championship and 10 Big Ten conference titles. He was twice president of the Golf Coaches Association of America and is a member of the Boilermaker Hall of Fame.

ROB BIRONAS (11)

EASTERN KENTUCKY HON. 2012

All-Pro and Pro Bowl placekicker for the Tennessee Titans.

OTIS DOUGLASS (12)

WILLIAM & MARY ’29

Was the head football coach at the University of Arkansas for three seasons in the early 1950s. He had a remarkable career as a college and professional player and coach in the US and Canada.

PAUL O. BIXLER

MOUNT UNION

Former head football coach at Ohio State and Colgate University; head basketball coach at Akron and Colgate and later director of player personnel for the Cleveland Browns.

CHARLIE TYRA (13)

LOUISVILLE ’55

The first Louisville Cardinal All-American in basketball. He played five seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the New York Knicks and Chicago Packers.

HAL HERRING (14)

AUBURN ’47

All-SEC and Auburn MVP football player. Was center and linebacker for the Buffalo Bills in the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) and the Cleveland Browns in the National Football League (NFL). He later was a defensive coach at Auburn and for the NFL's Atlanta Falcons and San Diego Chargers.

MARCEL “MARC” GULEY

SYRACUSE ’33

Head basketball coach at Syracuse University from 1950-1962, including Syracuse’s first NCAA appearance in 1957. Played professional basketball for the Binghamton Triplets and Newark Elks.

MATT MANN, II

MICHIGAN ’26

Head swim coach at the University of Michigan for 29 years where his teams won 16 Conference and 13 National titles—turning out more Olympic swimmers than any other University. After retirement from Michigan, he went on to coach the University of Oklahoma to eight consecutive Big Eight championships. Mann also coached the 1952 U.S. Olympic swim team to four of the six gold medals awarded.

Roger Counsil

SOUTHERN ILLINOIS ’57

An outstanding 3-sport athlete as an undergraduate, Counsil was a former American gymnastics coach and head of the United States Gymnastics Federation. As gymnastics coach at Indiana State, he coached Kurt Thomas and was selected to be the 1980 Olympic Gymnastics coach which the USA boycotted.

Bob Goin

BETHANY ’56

Athletic director at Bethany, Florida State, and Cincinnati. Goin was inducted into the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics Hall of Fame in 2013 and earned numerous other honors.

WENDELL LADNER (15)

SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI ’69

Was a professional basketball player, most notable for his playing time for five teams in the American Basketball Association (ABA) from 1970 until his death in an Eastern Airlines crash in 1975.

Wes Stock

WASHINGTON STATE ’54

Is a former Major League Baseball pitcher, pitching coach and television commentator. He appeared in 321 games pitched between 1959-1967 with the Baltimore Orioles and Kansas City Athletics and is a World Series winner.

BILL HOFFER (16)

PURDUE ’68

1971 1st team All-American golfer at Purdue, 1982 USGA Mid-Am Champion.

Byron Gentry

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA ’30

A guard on the 1931 and 1932 Rose Bowl championship Trojan teams, and later played three seasons for the Pittsburgh Steelers (then known as the Pirates).

Keith Lincoln

WASHINGTON STATE ’59

Was a running back for eight seasons in the American Football League (AFL). He played college football for the Washington State Cougars before choosing to play with the San Diego Chargers in the AFL. Lincoln was a twotime All-AFL selection and a five-time AFL AllStar. A member of the Chargers Hall of Fame, he won an AFL championship with San Diego in 1963, when he was named the most valuable player (MVP) of the championship game.

MICHIGAN ’23

Diver and swimmer at Michigan. 1952 Olympic women’s swimming and diving coach. For 31 years, Coach at Purdue University and Lafayette Swim Club where he coached 4 Olympians, 9 World Record holders, 8 Diving Champions, more than 60 All Americans and at least 40 U.S. National Champions.

WILLIAM AND MARY ’35

Old Dominion head baseball coach 19481980. Played for the New York Yankees from 1938-47. Bud played for the Yankees in the second and last game of the 1943 World Series as the Yankees defeated the St. Louis Cardinals. The Old Dominion baseball stadium is named for him.

NORBERT "NOBBY" WIRKOWSKI

MIAMI UNIVERSITY ’48

Miami University Hall of Fame player; quarterback and coach with the Toronto Argonauts; football coach and athletic director at York University.