Hillsdale to Honor Jack McAvoy's Years of Service to Hillsdale, The GLIAC, and DII

In 1990, the leadership of Jack McAvoy played a major role in shaping the landscape of NCAA Division II football as we know it today.

As athletic director at Hillsdale College, McAvoy led the charge to create the D2-only Midwest Intercollegiate Football Conference. The league united several football playing schools focused on Division II membership from the old Heartland and Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conferences. Prior to the MIFC, the conferences included D2, D3, and NAIA schools. The league would later re-adopt the GLIAC moniker and stands today as one of the top Division II football conferences in the country.

The Jack H. McAvoy award is presented annually to the GLIAC football player who best combines outstanding character and leadership on the field, in the classroom, and in the community.

As a lineman at Hillsdale, McAvoy played for Coach Muddy Waters and helped start the record setting win streak recently broken by Grand Valley State.

Now some 53 years after playing his last down of football for Hillsdale, the former Charger head coach and AD doesn’t have an ounce of quit in him.

“Coach Mac” has been fighting cancer for some time now and is bound and determined to whip it.

“Tommy, this damn thing isn’t going to beat me,” he recently told a former player who stopped by to catch up with his old coach.

Jack reports he is feeling fine with no side-effects from his chemotherapy.

The Hillsdale Football family will honor Coach McAvoy for a lifetime of service to Hillsdale, The GLIAC, and Division II Football Friday November 9th with an evening reception (private, by invitation) and a special halftime recognition ceremony during the Chargers’ final regular season game against Saginaw Valley.

All friends, colleagues, and former players are invited to honor Jack at halftime, a 2:30 PM kickoff at Muddy Waters Stadium. Notes of thanks, congratulations, and encouragement may be sent to Hillsdale c/o head coach, one of McAvoy’s former players, Keith Otterbein, Hillsdale College, Hillsdale, MI 49242.