Roy Kramer honored with Central Michigan University's new stadium name
MOUNT PLEASANT — All great coaching careers have to start somewhere.
For Roy Kramer, the national champion head football coach for Central Michigan who later guided college football into how we know it today, his start was at Hudson.
On Monday, Central Michigan University announced it would be naming the field at Kelly/Shorts Stadium after Kramer and fellow former CMU head coach Herb Deromedi.
"We are proud to honor the rich tradition and football history at CMU by dedicating this field to coach Roy Kramer and coach Herb Deromedi," said CMU director of athletics Amy Folan in a press release. "The indelible imprint of these two legendary CMU leaders has benefited so many throughout the years and will continue to benefit future generations. It is befitting that this prominent space they helped build will carry their names."
Kramer got his coaching start at Battle Creek Central High School where he was an assistant coach.
His first head coaching gig came the following season as he took over the Tigers. Kramer only coached Hudson for one season, but it was a memorable one.
Hudson went a perfect 9-0 with five shutouts and were selected as Detroit Times Class C state champions. The Tigers beat the likes of Tecumseh (24-0), Clinton (47-0), Summerfield (25-6), Pittsford (33-6), Blissfield (38-6), Hillsdale (37-0), Addison (70-6) and Morenci (62-0) as they also claimed the LCAA title.
Kramer then led Dowagiac to an 8-0 mark in 1957 before going 2-7 in 1958 at Benton Harbor before flipping its record the next season at 7-2.
Kramer's final high school stop was at East Lansing where he spent six seasons with a record of 39-13-6, including a 6-1 mark against Adrian. Overall, Kramer went 65-22-6 at the high school level.
Kramer was the freshmen coach at CMU before being named the head coach where he spent 11 seasons, accumulating a record of 83-32-2 and won the NCAA Division II national title in 1974.
During his time at CMU, Deromedi was Kramer's defensive coordinator. When Kramer left to become the AD at Vanderbilt after the 1977 season, Deromdi took over and helped continue the Chippewas into Division I play.
"It is a tremendous honor, and very humbling, to be recognized alongside my mentor back then, and still now, Roy Kramer," Deromedi said in the release. "I am so grateful for my time at Central Michigan and all of the men I was able coach and all of the people that have been so impactful in my life."
Following his coaching days, Kramer became the AD at Vanderbilt and later the commissioner of the Southeastern Conference.
While Kramer was commissioner, Arkansas and South Carolina joined the SEC and helped the conference split into two divisions and create the first conference championship.
In 1998, while still commissioner with the SEC, Kramer helped create the Bowl Championship Series, which decided the national champion in Division I college football until 2014 when the College Football Playoff began.
"I am honored and very humbled by this recognition of my days at Central Michigan University," Kramer, 92, said in the release. "I am particularly honored to share this recognition with Herb Deromedi. However, this is really a celebration and recognition of the hundreds of young men who represented the pride and tradition of the Maroon and Gold of the Chippewas."
CMU will dedicate the field on Saturday, Sept. 10 before the Chippewas play their home opener against South Alabama.
This article originally appeared on The Daily Telegram: Central Michigan names field after Roy Kramer and Herb Deromedi
