The Milan News-Leader
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EMU athletic director has unusual career path
Athletic Director speaks on his journey
By Dave Merchant, Staff Writer
PUBLISHED: November 13, 2008
One thing that is certain when talking to Eastern Michigan University Athletic Director Derrick Gragg is that he knows sports and, even more important, he really does love his job.
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His choice of careers was not what he thought it would be when he enrolled in college.
"I fell into this field by accident," Gragg said. "I started doing academic counseling and it hit me that maybe I could do this."
In college, he was a wide receiver for Vanderbilt. Highly recruited out of high school in Huntsville, Ala., Gragg lettered all four-years in football.
Oddly enough it was when his team played Florida University during his sophomore year that he started to realize he wouldn't be playing professional football. In that game, college standout and former professional star Emmitt Smith went on to have a career high against his team.
"That was my 'ah-ha' moment," he said. "After that, I lost my starting job and had to work my way back into the starting lineup and I was one of the most highly recruited players out of high school."
His team went 1-10 both his junior and senior years and he decided to concentrate on academics. Gragg first decided he wanted to be a lawyer in the Marine Corps after graduation.
"I went to law school and I knew after about one week that it wasn't for me," he said. "I finished one year of it."
One of his best friends in college was Corey Harris, who went on to a 12-year professional football career and won a Super Bowl title with the Baltimore Ravens, and played two years with the Detroit Lions before retiring.
"I loved going to school at Vandy," he said. "It was fantastic and some of my best friends in life have come from there."
Gragg said Harris' agent tried to get him to play in the Canadian Football League, but it wasn't something he wished to pursue. So, he started working in sports, but on the administrative side.
The EMU teams have enjoyed success with him and the help of some great coaches at the university.
During Gragg's first year at EMU in 2006-07, the department set a school and Mid-American Conference record by capturing a remarkable eight-team conference titles, adding a league post-season crown and recording two runner-up finishes.
The MAC-record eight-team championships eclipsed the mark of six held jointly by Central Michigan (2003-04) and Western Michigan (1984-85).
In 2007-08, Gragg's second year as athletics director, EMU followed up the record-breaking eight championships in 2006-07 with four league regular-season titles and one MAC Tournament crown and the Eagles secured the Reese Trophy, which is awarded annually to the top overall men's athletics program in the league. Eastern had won the prestigious Reese Trophy three previous times, 1987-88, 1990-91 and 1995-96).
"We have not had the success in the football and basketball programs," he said. "Our track program is decorated (indoor and outdoor), as is our cross country and our men's and women's swimming."
The baseball team had two championships in row before losing last year in the MAC finals (finishing second in the regular season).
Gragg was named EMU's 11th athletic director on Feb. 21, 2006, after spending the previous six years at the University of Arkansas.
He first joined the U of A in 2000 as an associate athletic director and was promoted to senior associate athletic director in 2003 and then to deputy athletic director. In his tenure at Arkansas, Gragg was involved in various areas including athletic administration, sport program oversight, marketing, sports information, recruitment, budget, student-athlete support, compliance, facilities and game management, fund-raising and research.
During his career, the 38-year-old Gragg has published several articles and editorials on intercollegiate athletics, as well as a nationwide study on sports-related gambling.
Gragg also serves as co-chairman of the MAC track coaches group. He graduated with a bachelor's in human development in 1992 from Vandy and was a member of the Southeastern Conference Academic Honor Roll during his senior year.
Gragg served from 1993 to 1995 as an academic counselor at his alma mater before adding the title of director of student life in his final year at Vanderbilt. During his time as a Commodore athletic administrator, he coordinated student life and support programs, as well as supervising the academic counseling programs for student-athletes.
Named assistant athletic director for compliance at the University Michigan in 1997, Gragg spent three years with oversight of the U of M compliance department. While serving in Ann Arbor, Gragg also earned his master's degree in sports administration from Wayne State University.
He also served on the faculty at WSU, teaching intercollegiate sport administration and sports marketing classes. He earned his doctorate in higher education administration from the U of A in May 2004 and taught two undergraduate courses during his tenure there as an athletic administrator.
Gragg was torn a bit when Toledo University beat the Wolverines in football.
"I have to root for my conference," he said. "I emailed Toledo's AD (Mike Brown) and told them to beat them right before the game. So, I guess you could say he owes me."
Gragg said that teams in the Mid-American Conference have had much better luck recently beating bigger schools. In the mid '90s, teams beat BCS only about 11 times. From 2000 to 2008, that number increased to 35.
"There is more parity in the league now," he said. "Kids want to play and athletes want to go where they can play."
Gragg said schools likes to recruit athletes from Michigan, not just the Metro-Detroit area but also Flint and other parts, as well.
EMU is the largest of the MAC schools in athletics with 21 sports and 550 athletes.
"We have several athletes that are All-Academic," he said. "I believe we are headed in the right direction."
Gragg is a proud member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. He is also a member of the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics and the Black Coaches and Administrators.
Gragg and his wife, Sanya, have a daughter, DeSha, 14, and two sons, Avery, 11, and Phillip-Raymond, 7.
Gragg said it's important to pick a specialty in athletics if you want to work in the field.
"You have to decide what you want to do in this business because there are so many different components," he said. "There are sports information directors, sports medicine or media relations. Have a great mentor depending on the direction you are headed in."
Dave Merchant is a reporter for Heritage Newspapers. He can be reached at dmerchant@heritage.com.
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