University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh Athletics

Many of the current athletic facilities at UW-Oshkosh were built with the help of the efforts of Dr. Eric Kitzman, the former director of athletics, coach and teacher at UW-Oshkosh, who retired in 1988.

Kitzman attended Concordia High School in River Forest, Ill., and signed a professional baseball contract with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1939. He played two years of minor league baseball in the Texas League before it ceased operation due to World War II.

In 1941, Kitzman enrolled at the University of Wisconsin and played baseball and football at a time when the Big Ten Conference allowed professionals to compete because of the war. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin in 1945 with a bachelor’s degree in physical education. Kitzman received his master’s degree from the University of Wisconsin in 1954 and doctorate from the University of Iowa in 1962.

After graduating from college in 1945, Kitzman accepted a teaching and coaching position at Menasha High School. He served as a director of athletics and coach of the baseball and boy's basketball teams there for the next 10 years. He coached the Blue Jays to the WIAA state baseball title in 1951 and the WIAA state basketball title in 1953. Kitzman’s teams compiled records of 106-22 in baseball and 176-34 in basketball.

In 1953, Kitzman joined the UW-Oshkosh faculty as a teacher and coach. From 1956-61, Kitzman guided the men's basketball team to a 45-40 record. His 1960 team, led by All-American Ron Dibelius, compiled a 15-8 record and competed at the NAIA Tournament in Kansas City, Mo. to become the first squad to represent UW-Oshkosh in national competition.

Kitzman started the baseball program at UW-Oshkosh in 1956 and held that post until turning it over to Russ Tiedemann in 1968. The UW-Oshkosh baseball team was 106-71 during Kitzman's reign and won the WSUC title in 1963. One of Kitzman's baseball players was 1991 UW-Oshkosh Hall of Fame inductee Norm DeBriyn.

Kitzman also served as head coach of the men's golf team at UW-Oshkosh from 1966-88. Five of his golf teams won WSUC titles and seven qualified for national postseason competition.

Following the retirement of Robert Kolf in 1966, Kitzman was named UW-Oshkosh’s director of athletics. Before leaving the position in 1974, Kitzman led the university through an athletic facilities expansion project that saw the construction of Kolf Sports Center and the original Titan Stadium Sports Complex. Under his guidance, the UW-Oshkosh athletics program won five WIAC All-Sports Awards. Kitzman was also instrumental in starting the UW-Oshkosh Athletics and NAIA District 14 falls of fame.

Kitzman passed away Oct. 20, 2013 in Oshkosh at the age of 92.