Dr. Kevin Fegan of Northwood, TX, talks to counselors in the Dallas Independent School District. (Northwood Photo) NORTHWOOD LEAPS: Pinconning's Dr. Kevin Fegan Puts Texas Campus on Map
December 22, 2013
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In one lightning year, former Pinconning athlete and coach Dr. Kevin Fegan has put his Northwood University, Texas campus on the national sports map.
After a decade heading the North Texas college, Dr. Fegan last year launched a revitalized basketball program with an aggressive recruiting campaign.
This year the Northwood Knights joined the Sooner Athletic Conference (SAC), an 11-school league comprised mainly of religious colleges.
The year-old Knights basketball team, playing in a sold-out Tudor Field House in Houston, had Rice University on the ropes Dec. 19 before the Owls finally prevailed 69-56.
The outstanding effort by Northwood won mention on ESPN broadcasts and no doubt caught the attention of prospective athletes both in Texas and other parts of the country.
With the loss to Rice, the Knights' record is 2-9 overall, having defeated Texas A&M Commerce and Open Bible College. The team returns to action and starts SAC play on January 2nd where they will travel to Oklahoma City to face Mid-American Christian. The Knights will then return home on the 4th of January and host the school's first ever SAC home basketball game against Oklahoma Baptist.
Former Pinconning High School all-state athlete and current Northwood University Texas president, Fegan, was inducted in October into the Bay County Sports Hall of Fame.
He credits the start of his career to his days as a student at Northwood University, Midland, watching his sister Debbie, an academic All-American, play volleyball.
Fegan was all-state in three sports at Pinconning, helping the baseball team to a final four appearance while also leading Bay County in scoring in basketball and receiving in football.
"During that time, Pinconning had a number of years where they weren't successful in football and basketball," Fegan said. "We started to have some good success collectively, and that's the thing I'll remember most."
In 2013, Fegan was inducted into the Bay County Sports Hall of Fame.
He told sportswriter Lee Thompson of The Bay City Times:
"My football coach Jeff Williams was her coach, and I followed her around watching them," Fegan said. "I had a ton of respect for Jeff, he could coach any sport. My senior year (in college), I wanted to coach with him at the college level to get experience cause I was always interested in coaching."
Williams made Fegan an assistant coach despite his lack of experience. He contemplated coaching basketball or football, Thompson wrote.
Coaching at Midland Dow for three seasons, his team had a perfect 40-0 regular season in 1986, when he was named the Northwood University head volleyball coach.
In 10 seasons at Northwood, Fegan's volleyball team posted a 264-102 record and was in the NAIA top 10 five times.
Fegan decided to focus on his career in academic administration. He got a Master's degree in educational administration from Central Michigan University and a doctorate from Wayne State University.
This year he celebrated his 10th anniversary as president of Northwood's Texas campus.
Last year, under Dr. Fegan's direction, recruiters from the Northwood fanned out across North Texas in search of student-athletes for new men's and women's basketball teams. Said Athletic Director Jack Allday:
"Basketball is prevalent in North Texas, and we feel there are a large number of area athletes who would love getting in on the ground floor of the re-launched program."
Dr. Fegan, added that "Northwood, which offers bachelor's degrees in a variety of business disciplines, is a great fit for a young man or woman who intends to pursue a career in business, and also desires to continue playing basketball at a competitive level."
Founded in 1959 in Midland, Michigan, Northwood also has a campus in West Palm Beach, Florida, both of which have established basketball programs. The Michigan Timberwolves play NCAA Division II basketball in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) while the Florida Seahawks play in the Sun Conference, which is affiliated with the NAIA. The Seahawks played in the NAIA Division II championship game, held in Kansas City, last season.
The Texas campus also fields teams in baseball, softball, men's and women's soccer, and programs for both men and women in cross country, track and field, and golf.
For more information about Northwood Texas Athletics contact Jack Allday at Jallday@Northwood.edu or call 972.293.5478.
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