HUMBER ATHLETIC DIRECTOR DOUG FOX RETIRES AFTER 35 YEARS

ETOBICOKE, Ont. - Doug Fox, the Athletic Director at Humber College, announced his retirement on Tuesday afternoon, effective August 31, 2013. His 35 years of service to the Humber College Athletic Department is overflowing with team and professional successes that are second to none in the country.

Fox, the University of Toronto's Basketball Athlete of the Decade for the 1970s, accepted the role of men's basketball coach for the Humber Hawks in 1978. He was hired full time in 1979 to oversee the new Humber Athletic Centre, and then went on to be one of the most successful athletic directors in the country.

Included in his resume, are periods as both the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) president and the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) president. He was a key contributor to unifying nationwide eligibility and academic rules, and successfully saw the five-year eligibility rule come into being.

His Humber Hawks teams have broken almost every record for team and individual successes. In the 2011-12 season, with 18 teams competing in OCAA play, the Hawks grabbed 18 team and individual provincial gold medals. This past season included 13 team and individual provincial gold and three CCAA national championship teams. In the last three seasons, Humber has had 13 OCAA Players of the Year and players from golf, badminton and volleyball representing Canada at the World University Games.

"My time at Humber has been so special to me, both professionally and personally," said Fox. "The relationships I have developed with the staff and coaches will stay with me forever, just as the athletes and the memories they have provided me with by way of their success and commitment to the Hawk Family".

In his time at Humber, the varsity program grew from five teams, up to the current number of 20, which now sits as the biggest varsity program in the country. The athletic facilities have had two major renovations and he has laid the groundwork for a significant building upgrade for Humber's Lakeshore Campus, and enhanced outdoor playing fields at the North Campus.

Accolades and honours are coming his way, starting with his automatic induction into the Humber Varsity Hall of Fame, and having his banner raised to the rafters along with those athletes, coaches and builders who have made substantial contributions to Humber.

His voice will be missed around the table at the OCAA meetings, as will his reassuring presence on the sidelines of varsity sporting events, but most importantly, his supportive and caring approach to the staff who he has admirably led over the years.

Source: Humber College