OCALA, Fla. (April 4, 2022) – Bob Zelinski, a staple of the Florida College System Activities Association (FCSAA) and the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) for more than 50 years, announced Monday that he is retiring as Director of Athletics at the College of Central Florida.
Zelinski's 23-year run at the helm of Central Florida's athletics department will end June 30, 2022, and what a run it was.
Under Zelinski's guidance and leadership, the Patriots have enjoyed tremendous success across all sports, highlighted by National Championships in women's tennis (2001) and men's basketball (2013), and national runners-up (2014) and third place (2019) finishes in softball. His teams won four FCSAA Championships – women's tennis, 2001; volleyball, 2012; men's basketball, 2013; and softball, 2019 – and 28 Mid-Florida Conference Championships.
Most recently, Zelinski announced the addition of women's cross country to the CF lineup, beginning this fall.
"I am extremely proud to have been a part of this historic program," said Zelinski. "I have been very fortunate to have truly outstanding people to work with and lead the College's athletics and training programs. Together, not only did we succeed athletically, but we also graduated more than 80 percent of our students and watched them move on and achieve success beyond CF.
"Due to outstanding recruiting and coaching, our teams produced 46 NJCAA All-Americans, 13 FCSAA Players of the Year, and, with our emphasis on academics, we had 53 NJCAA All-Academic honorees and 10 FCSAA Scholar-Athlete of the Year recipients."
While Zelinski may be best-known for his tenure at Central Florida, the Miami native spent much of his professional career at Miami Dade College. Beginning in 1971 as aquatics manager at Miami Dade's Kendall Campus, Zelinski rose through the ranks as facility manager, assistant athletics director, faculty member and chair of health, physical education, recreation, dance and athletics. He was recognized as the Outstanding Community College Physical Educator by the Florida Alliance for HPERD, and it was at Dade where Zelinski began to make his mark on the NJCAA, assisting with the direction of 14 volleyball, two men's soccer and two swimming & diving NJCAA Championship events, in addition to multiple FCSAA Championships.
In 1999, Zelinski moved north to Ocala and immediately began to re-shape the program as Director of Athletics at what was then known as Central Florida Community College. He led the planning to renovate the College's gymnasium into a state-of-the-art facility, which later hosted the FCSAA Basketball Championships from 2014-19, oversaw the renovation of the baseball clubhouse, scoreboards, and netting, and led the renovation and completion of the softball batting cages, scoreboards and field upgrades.
Zelinski's impact has been felt far beyond the CF campus, as he graciously devoted his time to both the FCSAA and NJCAA. For 18 years, he served as NJCAA Region 8 Men's Director/FCSAA Men's Athletics Commissioner, a role which also placed him on the FCSAA Executive Committee. He was chairperson of the NJCAA Eligibility Committee for 10 years and chaired multiple NJCAA sports committees.
As a nationally recognized leader in two-year college athletics, Zelinski has received numerous accolades, including the FCSAA Distinguished Service Award, the NJCAA George Killian Outstanding Region Director Award, the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) Athletic Director of the Year Award for Junior/Community College, and NJCAA Outstanding Service Awards in Swimming & Diving and Men's Tennis.
Zelinski was a 1998 inductee into the FCSAA Hall of Fame and joined the FCSAA Men's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2017. He was given the Outstanding Recognition Award from FCSAA Baseball for 25 years of directing its championship event and the tournament's Most Valuable Player Award now bears his name.
"I loved every day working with the coaches, staff, and student-athletes at Central Florida and across the state and nation, and I truly appreciate the opportunity provided by (former CF President) Dr. Charles Dassance and (former vice president) Dr. Jim Harvey. They had a vision for the athletics program and how it would fit, not only into the College but the Ocala community, and were extremely supportive of everything we were able to accomplish."
Upon retirement, Bob and his wife, Donna, will continue to reside in Ocala.
What others are saying about Bob Zelinski
Rob Chaney, FCSAA Associate Director/Athletics Commissioner: "When I was a first-time AD (in 2009), Bob never hesitated to take a phone call or answer an email when I had a question. By making himself available, he had a direct impact on my growth in the profession and has helped train a generation of athletic administrators, not just in Florida but throughout the NJCAA. Thanks to his leadership, the FCSAA's commitment to and emphasis on athletic eligibility is unparalleled in two-year athletics, and it's no coincidence that our student-athletes perform at such a high level and are so well-prepared for future success. Bob's leadership and experience will be sorely missed, but his impact on the FCSAA and NJCAA will continue well beyond his retirement from Central Florida."
Mike Matulia, Director of Athletics, Lake-Sumter State College & NJCAA Region 8 Men's Director: "Bob Zelinski is a leader, mentor, and friend to so many people in the FCSAA and NJCAA. We are losing one of the best athletic administrators in our association and someone who has made a significant impact on two-year athletics. Our region has been a leader in the NJCAA, and Bob is one of the reasons for many of the eligibility and behavior policies that we follow today. Personally, Bob has meant everything to me, our program at Lake-Sumter State College and to my career!"
Dr. Christopher Parker, NJCAA President and CEO: "Congratulations to Bob on an outstanding career and we wish him all the best in retirement."
Tim Ryan, Head Men's Basketball Coach, College of Central Florida (2003-20): "Bob took a chance in hiring me and helped shape my career. I will be forever grateful. It was both a pleasure and an honor to work for him. He was the most respected and knowledgeable Athletics Director in the NJCAA. He served CF with pride and will be impossible to replace."
George Sanders, Director of Athletics, Florida SouthWestern State College & NJCAA Region 8 Women's Director: "Bob has been a mentor for every person who has served as an Athletics Director in the FCSAA and has made each of us better at our jobs and more aware of the big picture. He will be missed, and we all owe him a debt of gratitude for his service."
Charles Smith, Retired FCSAA Executive Director: "Congratulations Bob on your well-deserved retirement. Your dedicated service to the CAA and men's sports at the state and national level will long be remembered. I will always cherish our professional and personal relationship. Thanks for being my friend."
Marty Smith, Head Baseball Coach, College of Central Florida (1995-present): "Bob has been spectacular for the athletics program at CF and has taken every sport to a higher level. His leadership and guidance have provided CF Athletics with success on the field/court, in the classroom and in the community while maintaining the highest integrity in all sports. We will miss his leadership dearly."
Kelly Warren, FCSAA Executive Director: "Bob has always been the most knowledgeable person in the room when it comes to FCSAA athletics history. He's been a wonderful resource for me in my role as Executive Director and has been the first person I've called when I've had a perspective question. His years of service to the association are unmatched, and I'll miss having his counsel just a phone call away. I wish him the best in his retirement. He's certainly earned it!"
Original article posted on the Florida College System Activity Association website: https://region8.prestosports.com/general/2021-22/releases/20220404ezfz5l