2012 wmu football record book - Western Michigan University ...

70DR. JON STEINBRECHER — MAC COMMISSIONERSteinbrecher secured an invitation for the OVC to participate inESPN’s BracketBusters event. He also implemented conferencemerchandising and corporate partner programs and in 2008 negotiateda five-year agreement with IMG College to manage the OVC’smultimedia rights and sponsorship sales.In July 2006, Steinbrecher helped spearhead a venture intostreaming video with the launch of OVCSports.TV. The multimediaplatform provided live and on-demand coverage of every OVC footballand men’s and women’s basketball games as well as selectedother sports, coaches’ shows, press conferences and specialevents. In its first two years of existence, OVCSports.TV streamedover 800 events and recorded nearly 5,000 paid subscribers.Under his leadership, the OVC re-emphasized its commitment tosportsmanship by implementing a series of good sports initiatives,including sportsmanship affidavits signed by coaches and administrators,student-athlete ethical conduct orientation and an institutionaland team sportsmanship awards. Steinbrecher also initiateda Conference Basketball Issues Committee and oversaw increasedpromotional efforts for the OVC Basketball Tournament, which resultedin an increase in ticket sales revenue. He also spearheadedthe efforts in bidding for, and ultimately securing, the 2014 NCAADivision I Women’s Basketball Final Four for Nashville.journalism. In 2006, he was bestowed an Alumni AchievementAward from his alma mater. Steinbrecher graduated with a master’sdegree in sports administration from Ohio University in 1984,and he was awarded the doctorate of physical education in sportsadministration from Indiana University in 1989.An all-conference and academic all-conference selection in footballand a conference champion in tennis, Dr. Steinbrecher was namedValparaiso’s and the Heartland Collegiate Conference’s Student-Athlete of the Year in 1983. In 2006, he was inducted into theWatauga County (N.C.) Sports Hall of Fame.Steinbrecher and his wife Anne have three children, daughterGrace and twin sons Matt and Will.Steinbrecher follows Rick Chryst, who served as MAC Commissioner(1999-2009). David Reese served as the first commissionerfrom 1946-64, followed by Bob James (1964-71), Fred Jacoby(1971-82), Jim Lessig (1982-90), Karl Benson (1990-94), JerryIppoliti (1994-99).Prior to being named Mid-Continent Conference Commissioner inNov. 1994, Dr. Steinbrecher had previously served the league asDirector of Communications, Director of Marketing and Communicationsand Assistant Commissioner. He joined the Mid-Con staff in1989 after previously serving in the athletics departments at HoustonBaptist University, Indiana University and Davidson College.Steinbrecher has served on a number of prominent NCAA committees,including the Division I Basketball Issues Committee, servingas a member of subcommittees for both men’s and women’sbasketball, and in 1999 he became the first non-Division I-A commissionerelected as president of the Collegiate Commissioner’sAssociation (CCA). In June 2007, he was appointed to the NCAADivision I Men’s Basketball Academic Enhancement Group by thelate NCAA President Myles Brand. He has served on the NCAADivision I Legislative Council, the NCAA Championship Cabinet, theNCAA Committee on Athletics Certification and the NCAA Men’sBasketball Issues Committee.Steinbrecher is currently a member of the NCAA ChampionshipsCabinet, serves on the Board of Directors of NCAA Football and isChair of the College Football Officiating Board of Managers.Steinbrecher has also served as Division I-AAA vice president ofthe CCA and as a member of the National Invitation Tournament’sDistrict IV Advisory Board.Steinbrecher is a 1983 graduate of Valparaiso University, wherehe earned a Bachelor of Science degree in physical education and2012 WMU FOOTBALL RECORD BOOK