Michigan High School Athletic Association executive director Jack Roberts has announced his retirement.
Roberts, who was the fourth full-time executive director in the MHSAA's 94-year history and has been in his current role since the fall of 1986, will retire in August.
"I don’t think anybody could have been luckier than I to enjoy their work so much and to enjoy the people he worked with so much,” Roberts said in a released statement. “It has been a blessing to be able to bring my passions to work every day and be able to act on my convictions. I don’t think anybody could ever feel more called to a job than I did. In fact, this wasn’t a job at the MHSAA. The MHSAA was my purpose for these three decades."
Roberts is the nation's longest-serving executive director of a state high school athletic association and will end his tenure as the second-longest serving in MHSAA history.
In the last three decades under Roberts' leadership, participation in high school athletics in the state has increased 10 percent. The MHSAA also has added five tournament sponsored sports - competitive cheer in 1994, girls and boys bowling in 2004 and girls and boys lacrosse in 2005.
The football playoffs have expanded and doubled, an 8-player football division has been added and opportunities for multiple schools to have cooperative teams in sports are also among the many things that have happened under Roberts.
"We have accomplished a great deal over 32 years, but there is very much more to do – and it will always be that way," Roberts said.
Roberts arrived at the MHSAA in 1986 and replaced the late Vern Norris as the executive director. The 1970 Dartmouth graduate previously had worked for the National Federation of State High School Associations, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and as a teacher and football coach in Milwaukee and Denver.
Contact Brian Calloway at bcalloway@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @brian_calloway.
