Page 20 - Annual Report3

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There’s a newAthletic Director at TAMIU and at 6’5,”
he’s not hard to miss.
Gilbert “Griz” Zimmermann officially joined TAMIU
Athletics in July of 2013 as the program’s fourth Director of
Athletics. Zimmermann comes to TAMIU after serving as
athletics director at Lake Erie College in Painesville, Ohio,
for the past six years.
Zimmermann’s enthusiasm for Laredo and TAMIU is
apparent and he’s also vocal about TAMIU student-athletes
and programs.
“TAMIU has some excellent student-athletes and
strong programs in place. I’mvery impressed by theAthletic
department staff and their commitment to the program.
I’m also extremely encouraged by the level of support that
TAMIU Athletics has both on campus and in the Laredo
community and I’m really enjoying working hand in hand
with our partners and supporters to help Dustdevil Athletics
move to the next level,” Zimmermann said.
With his leadership at Lake Erie, the Storm Athletics
Department grew from 10 NCAADivision III varsity teams
to 23 teams, all competing at NCAA Division II level. He
also increased the number of student athletes from the mid-
100’s to over 500.
In nearly 30 years of athletic administrative experience,
Zimmermann has performed every task from designing
and implementing workout programs to supervising and
managing the construction of a $60 million, 35,000-seat
stadium.
Before Lake Erie, Zimmermann directed the athletic
department at Gannon University from 2003-2006. Prior to
Gannon, he served as director of athletics at SaginawValley
State University from 2000-03 and was the assistant A.D.
at Southern Methodist University (SMU) in Dallas from
1993-2000. While at SMU, he served as project manager
for construction of the $42 million dollar Gerald J. Ford
Stadium complex.
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He had a previous stint at SMU as strength and
conditioning coach and was hired by and worked for NFL
Hall of Famer Forrest Gregg. He was a member of the
Mustang staff that returned football to the school in 1989.
Zimmermann was also the strength and conditioning coach
for the two-time University of Michigan Big Ten Champion
men’s basketball team as a graduate student.
Zimmermann is a dual graduate of the University of
Michigan with a bachelor of science in Physical Education
and a master of science in exercise physiology. As an
undergraduate at Michigan, he was a member of the football
teamunder legendaryHall of Fame coach Bo Schembechler.
The St. Louis, MO, native previously served in the
United States Navy and has four children, Sydney (20),
Matthew (18), Harper (14) and Paden (13).
• Jan. 2 @ 7:30 P.M.
VS Texas-Permian Basin
ODESSA, TX
• Jan. 4 @ 3 P.M.
VS Lubbock Christian University
LUBBOCK, TX
•Jan. 9 @ 7:30 P.M.
VS McMurry
Laredo, TX- TAMIU Kinesiology &
Convocation Building
•Jan. 11 @ 3 P.M. • VS ST. Edward’s
Laredo, TX- TAMIU Kinesiology &
Convocation Building
TAMIU Basketball
2014 game calendar
For game calendar,
please visit:
• Jan. 2 @ 5:30 P.M.
VS Texas-Permian Basin
ODESSA, TX
• Jan. 4 @ 1 P.M.
VS Lubbock Christian University
LUBBOCK, TX
•Jan. 9 @ 5:30 P.M.
VS McMurry
Laredo, TX- TAMIU Kinesiology &
Convocation Building
•Jan. 11 @ 1 P.M.
VS ST. Edward’s
Laredo, TX- TAMIU Kinesiology &
Convocation Building
Men’s
Women’s