FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Drew Sauer, Assistant Sports Information Director, 630-637-5324

June 4, 2015 -- North Central College head women's tennis coach Don Moravec '69 announced his retirement from the helm he held for 10 years, as the longest tenured coach in program history walks away as the all-time leader in wins with an overall record of 102-76-2.

"I would like to thank the entire athletic department for their support, especially Jim Miller and Sue Kane," said Moravec, "and the players I've had the pleasure of coaching over the last 10 seasons.  I would also like to thank my longtime friend and assistant coach, Ron Jakes."

Moravac joined the Cardinal program in the fall of 2005 after the team wrapped up its 20^th-consecutive losing season the year prior, but made the most of the situation and steered the program into the right direction.

"We came a long way since our first year in 2005," said Moravec, "we had a total of six players on the team and three had never played tennis before, but we made it work and finished .500 that season."

Despite a losing season in 2006, Moravec's only losing season as head coach, the Cardinals' rebounded with back-to-back fourth-place finishes in College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) play in 2007 and 2008, before finishing a program-best third place in the CCIW standings in 2009.

In 2011 Stephanie Brunetti '14 and Madeline Urban '14 captured the first CCIW doubles title in program history at the No. 3 position, while Kayla Garcia became the program's first CCIW singles champion at the No. 6 position in 2013.

Moravec guided the team to double-digit wins in seven of his 10 seasons at North Central, while surpassing the 100-career victory mark this past season.  Moravec remains the program's winningest head coach after breaking the career win mark in just his third season at the helm, ending his career with 102 wins while the 2014 squad finished with a program-best 13 wins this past season.

"This past year was rewarding as we surpassed the 100-win mark," said Moravec, "but it's just time after 10 years, I have family and grandchildren I would like to spend time with and a new summer home to enjoy."

Moravec was involved in football, wrestling, track and field and intramurals while attending North Central and won an individual CCIW wrestling title at 167 pounds in 1965. Upon graduating in 1969, he went on to earn a master's degree from Governor's State University (Ill.) in 1975 and an Ed.D. from the University of Sarasota (Fla.) in 1978.

Prior to his stint as head coach at North Central, he was dean of students and a coach for 31 years at Downers Grove North High School, retiring in 2001. His teams won nine West Suburban Conference championships in wrestling, football and badminton, six Illinois High School Association regional championships in badminton, and an IHSA sectional championship in tennis. Moravec received the Illinois Girls Coaches Association Badminton Coach of the Year award in 1992 and was inducted into the Downers Grove North Athletic Hall of Fame in 2002. He is also a member of the Illinois State Deans Association.

Moravec has also enjoyed a very different sort of career, co-developing patents for Keating of Chicago - a business founded by the grandfather and father of his wife, Eliza Keating '68 Moravec.  Moravec belongs to the National Restaurant Association, Foodservice Consultants Society International and the North American Food Equipment Manufacturers.

He and his wife were named North Central Outstanding Alumni Award winners in 2004 and currently reside in Oak Park, Illinois, where he is a vestry member, senior warden and lay Eucharistic minister for Christ Episcopal Church in River Forest, Illinois.