Volume 1 Issue 5
Coyote Corner May 13, 2015 Volume 1
Issue 5
My Thing with Grand Junction
Dexter Irvin Director of Athletics and Recreation
"I am very grateful for the opportunity to work with quality coaches and staff. We will work hard to take care of the present challenges and then provide leadership and vision for what the future of athletics can look like at CSN.”
"Any changes require planning and hard work, but we must always remember that our greatest assets are the students in the Southern Nevada area. Using athletics to help local students achieve their success in higher education is the correct application of intercollegiate athletics." Dexter and his wife, Connie, have six children and 16 grand children.
In 1975, long before many of you reading this were born, or even a glimmering thought, my “thing” with the city of Grand Junction Colorado began. As a high school football player our undefeated team rolled into Grand Junction to play local powerhouse Fruita Monument. We had won the NM state championship in 73 and gone undefeated but we moved up a classification, and we thought we were pretty good as we entered Stocker Stadium that October evening. Two hours later with severely separated right shoulder and a good old fashioned butt kick ‘in, I wanted to get out of Grand Junction and never look back. Little did I know that this would be the first of other painful, and exhilarating, “things” in Grand Junction over the next forty years. Fast forward to 1989 and I returned to GJ as the head women’s basketball coach at Western NM University. It was my first experience in the RMAC, and the scenic van rides from Silver City to Grand Junction were as wearing as the games. During that first year I was to meet and compete against one of the greatest human beings on the planet; Steve Kirkham. Steve and I competed against each other pretty evenly over the next several years; in fact we shared the RMAC title in ’89 with Fort Lewis.
The relationship was solidified in ‘89 during the playoffs in Silver City, when after WNMU won the semifinal playoff game, and Mesa unable to get home because of the weather, Steve drove his team to Phoenix for the NAIA district championship game with Grand Canyon. They cheered for us, and Steve and I have been “brothers from a different mother”, ever since. Even in 1990 when I rolled into Grand Junction and Mesa State with a great team and a twenty-two point lead at half time. Mary Marcantonio, Jill Teeters and the rest of the Lady Mav’s put a big chink in our armor, as they came back to beat us, but I still love the guy. Although we ended up at the first of our two NAIA national tournaments that year, that game in Grand Junction still haunts me. Another Grand Junction thing.
Office of Intercollegiate Athletics and Recreation 700 College Drive Henderson NV 89002
Coyote Corner In 1994-1999 our six kids were growing up without a dad, so I took a great high school girls job at Kirtland Central (NM). We went 151-17 and had four state championships during that stretch. We could have won six Championships if I were a better coach. We often ventured to Grand Junction with great success, to play GJ High, Fruita and GJ Central during the preseason, and our teams spent the summers at Mesa State camps preparing for the grueling season. Those summers were instrumental in preparing our teams for the success we had during those years. Doug Schakel, (Mesa State Men’s Coach and camp director) and Kirkham were again monumental and instrumental in my success as a coach and person. A great Grand Junction thing. The next stop in the Irvin-Grand Junction train came in 2001-02 year as I was the Athletic Director at Dixie State College. I applied for and was eventually offered the athletic directors positon at Mesa State. I was so excited by the opportunity to work with great coaches and a great community, but could not work out contract details with the President. I was certain that my Grand Junction thing had come to an end, and I would probably not have other dealings or opportunities with the great western slope city again. While other employment opportunities at Mesa in subsequent years would not come to bear, destiny would not hear of ending my relationship or “thing” with Grand Junction. While serving as the athletic director at Dixie State in 2002 our baseball team qualified for the NJCAA World Series (JUCO) in Grand Junction. It was a great year and a great team and we lost a heart wrencher in the championship game after leading most of the game. 2003 saw another great battle in the conference, and The College of Southern Nevada went on to win the World Series. In 2004 Dixie returned to Grand Junction for another shot at a National Championship. I was quickly losing my hair and decided to shave it all off if we won the championship that year. As the tournament wore on I was getting a little nervous about my hair but ecstatic for our team as we won the National Championship on a bang, bang double play finish. I haven’t had hair since, and Grand Junction, well we did our thing. During my five years at the University of Hawai`i I kept my Grand Mesa fix by holding a family reunion with our six married children and sixteen grandchildren in Ouray. I had Kirkham come to Hawai`i and speak to my staff during a staff development and I once again applied to be the AD at now Colorado Mesa. Although I was disappointed, it was good to see a friend and great AD, Tom Spicer, in that position. In January of 2014 I was appointed the AD at the College of Southern Nevada and the opportunity to have another “thing” with Grand Junction now appears possible. CSN has a great baseball tradition and we are working on other sports and facilities as I write, but this weekend could result in another trip to Grand Junction. With a great pitching staff and a wonderful cast of characters the Coyotes need to win the Western District Tournament against Yavapai (AZ), Trinidad (CO) and Salt Lake Community College. CSN’s last trip to Grand Junction was in 2010 during the Bryce Harper year. This is a different team with a different coach than 2010. Coach Nick Garritanno’s guys have won both the regular season Scenic West Conference title and the Region 18 title and, like me, they would love to make that trip and have another “thing” with the wonderful folks in Grand Junction.
Dexter Office of Intercollegiate Athletics and Recreation 700 College Drive Henderson NV 89002
Issue 5
My Thing with Grand Junction
Dexter Irvin Director of Athletics and Recreation
"I am very grateful for the opportunity to work with quality coaches and staff. We will work hard to take care of the present challenges and then provide leadership and vision for what the future of athletics can look like at CSN.”
"Any changes require planning and hard work, but we must always remember that our greatest assets are the students in the Southern Nevada area. Using athletics to help local students achieve their success in higher education is the correct application of intercollegiate athletics." Dexter and his wife, Connie, have six children and 16 grand children.
In 1975, long before many of you reading this were born, or even a glimmering thought, my “thing” with the city of Grand Junction Colorado began. As a high school football player our undefeated team rolled into Grand Junction to play local powerhouse Fruita Monument. We had won the NM state championship in 73 and gone undefeated but we moved up a classification, and we thought we were pretty good as we entered Stocker Stadium that October evening. Two hours later with severely separated right shoulder and a good old fashioned butt kick ‘in, I wanted to get out of Grand Junction and never look back. Little did I know that this would be the first of other painful, and exhilarating, “things” in Grand Junction over the next forty years. Fast forward to 1989 and I returned to GJ as the head women’s basketball coach at Western NM University. It was my first experience in the RMAC, and the scenic van rides from Silver City to Grand Junction were as wearing as the games. During that first year I was to meet and compete against one of the greatest human beings on the planet; Steve Kirkham. Steve and I competed against each other pretty evenly over the next several years; in fact we shared the RMAC title in ’89 with Fort Lewis.
The relationship was solidified in ‘89 during the playoffs in Silver City, when after WNMU won the semifinal playoff game, and Mesa unable to get home because of the weather, Steve drove his team to Phoenix for the NAIA district championship game with Grand Canyon. They cheered for us, and Steve and I have been “brothers from a different mother”, ever since. Even in 1990 when I rolled into Grand Junction and Mesa State with a great team and a twenty-two point lead at half time. Mary Marcantonio, Jill Teeters and the rest of the Lady Mav’s put a big chink in our armor, as they came back to beat us, but I still love the guy. Although we ended up at the first of our two NAIA national tournaments that year, that game in Grand Junction still haunts me. Another Grand Junction thing.
Office of Intercollegiate Athletics and Recreation 700 College Drive Henderson NV 89002
Coyote Corner In 1994-1999 our six kids were growing up without a dad, so I took a great high school girls job at Kirtland Central (NM). We went 151-17 and had four state championships during that stretch. We could have won six Championships if I were a better coach. We often ventured to Grand Junction with great success, to play GJ High, Fruita and GJ Central during the preseason, and our teams spent the summers at Mesa State camps preparing for the grueling season. Those summers were instrumental in preparing our teams for the success we had during those years. Doug Schakel, (Mesa State Men’s Coach and camp director) and Kirkham were again monumental and instrumental in my success as a coach and person. A great Grand Junction thing. The next stop in the Irvin-Grand Junction train came in 2001-02 year as I was the Athletic Director at Dixie State College. I applied for and was eventually offered the athletic directors positon at Mesa State. I was so excited by the opportunity to work with great coaches and a great community, but could not work out contract details with the President. I was certain that my Grand Junction thing had come to an end, and I would probably not have other dealings or opportunities with the great western slope city again. While other employment opportunities at Mesa in subsequent years would not come to bear, destiny would not hear of ending my relationship or “thing” with Grand Junction. While serving as the athletic director at Dixie State in 2002 our baseball team qualified for the NJCAA World Series (JUCO) in Grand Junction. It was a great year and a great team and we lost a heart wrencher in the championship game after leading most of the game. 2003 saw another great battle in the conference, and The College of Southern Nevada went on to win the World Series. In 2004 Dixie returned to Grand Junction for another shot at a National Championship. I was quickly losing my hair and decided to shave it all off if we won the championship that year. As the tournament wore on I was getting a little nervous about my hair but ecstatic for our team as we won the National Championship on a bang, bang double play finish. I haven’t had hair since, and Grand Junction, well we did our thing. During my five years at the University of Hawai`i I kept my Grand Mesa fix by holding a family reunion with our six married children and sixteen grandchildren in Ouray. I had Kirkham come to Hawai`i and speak to my staff during a staff development and I once again applied to be the AD at now Colorado Mesa. Although I was disappointed, it was good to see a friend and great AD, Tom Spicer, in that position. In January of 2014 I was appointed the AD at the College of Southern Nevada and the opportunity to have another “thing” with Grand Junction now appears possible. CSN has a great baseball tradition and we are working on other sports and facilities as I write, but this weekend could result in another trip to Grand Junction. With a great pitching staff and a wonderful cast of characters the Coyotes need to win the Western District Tournament against Yavapai (AZ), Trinidad (CO) and Salt Lake Community College. CSN’s last trip to Grand Junction was in 2010 during the Bryce Harper year. This is a different team with a different coach than 2010. Coach Nick Garritanno’s guys have won both the regular season Scenic West Conference title and the Region 18 title and, like me, they would love to make that trip and have another “thing” with the wonderful folks in Grand Junction.
Dexter Office of Intercollegiate Athletics and Recreation 700 College Drive Henderson NV 89002
