View source for Roy Kramer

{{short description|American college football coach, college athletics administrator}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox college coach
| name = Roy Kramer
| image = 
| alt = 
| caption = 
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1929|10|30}}
| birth_place = [[Maryville, Tennessee]], U.S.
| death_date = 
| death_place = 
| alma_mater = 
| coach_years1 = 1955
| coach_team1 = [[Battle Creek Central High School|Battle Creek Central HS (MI)]] (assistant)
| coach_years2 = 1956
| coach_team2 = [[Hudson High School (Michigan)|Hudson HS (MI)]]
| coach_years3 = 1957
| coach_team3 = [[Dowagiac Union High School|Dowagiac HS (MI)]]
| coach_years4 = 1958–1959
| coach_team4 = [[Benton Harbor High School|Benton Harbor HS (MI)]]
| coach_years5 = 1960–1966
| coach_team5 = [[East Lansing High School|East Lansing HS (MI)]]
| coach_years6 = 1967–1977
| coach_team6 = [[Central Michigan Chippewas football|Central Michigan]]
| admin_years1 = 1978–1990
| admin_team1 = [[Vanderbilt Commodores|Vanderbilt]]
| admin_years2 = 1990–2002
| admin_team2 = [[Southeastern Conference|SEC]] (commissioner)
| overall_record = 83–32–2 (college)<br>58–14–3 (high school)
| bowl_record = 
| tournament_record = 3–0 (NCAA D-II playoffs)
| championships = 1 [[NCAA Division II Football Championship|NCAA Division II]] (1974)<br>2 [[Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference|IIAC]] (1967–1968)
| awards = 
| coaching_records = 
| CFBHOF_year = 2023
| CFBHOF_id = 2522
}}
'''Roy F. Kramer''' (born October 30, 1929)<ref name="tac-19961206">{{cite news|last=Bisher|first=Furman|author-link=Furman Bisher|title=Kramer means business|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/64114817/kramer-means-business/|newspaper=[[The Atlanta Constitution]]|date=December 6, 1996|page=G3|via = [[Newspapers.com]]|access-date = November 27, 2020 }} {{free access}}</ref> is a former American high school, [[college football]] coach and athletics administrator.  Kramer was the head football coach for [[Central Michigan University]] from 1967 to 1977, compiling a record of 83–32–2 and winning the 1974 [[NCAA Division II Football Championship]].  He then served as the [[athletic director]] at [[Vanderbilt University]] from 1978 to 1990, and later as the commissioner of the [[Southeastern Conference]] from 1990 to 2002, where he created the [[Bowl Championship Series]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/football/bowls/2007-12-06-bcs2-football_N.htm?csp=34 | title=Man behind creation of BCS pleased with results | author=Jack Carey | date=December 8, 2007 | access-date=February 18, 2008 | publisher=USA Today}}</ref>

==Administrative career==
Kramer became the sixth commissioner of the Southeastern Conference on January 10, 1990.  Within seven months of his appointment, the conference announced plans for expansion, adding Arkansas and South Carolina officially on July 1, 1991.  Following expansion, Kramer guided the conference in formulating divisional play and the first Division I-A conference football championship game.

During his tenure at the helm of the SEC, the conference won 81 national championships, the most ever in a decade by the league. Kramer oversaw the distribution of a then-league record $95.7 million to its member institutions for 2001–02. Kramer negotiated multi-sport national television packages with CBS and ESPN, featuring football and men's and women's basketball, through the 2008–09 season.

Because of his influence, the Men's and Women's SEC Athlete of the year award is presented annually as the Roy F. Kramer Award.

Kramer was succeeded as the SEC's commissioner by [[Michael Slive]].

==Awards and honors==
* 1964 Michigan Class A "Coach of the Year" at East Lansing High<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=http://www.cmuchippewas.com/genrel/kramer_roy00.html|title=CMUCHIPPEWAS.COM Roy Kramer Bio - Official Athletic Site|website=www.cmuchippewas.com|language=en|access-date=June 5, 2018}}</ref>
* 1974 Division II national "Coach of the Year"<ref name=":0" />
* 1987 Central Michigan Athletics Hall of Fame inductee<ref name=":0" />
* 1989 [[Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame]] inductee<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://tshf.net/halloffame/kramer-roy/|title=Roy Kramer « Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame|website=tshf.net|language=en-US|access-date=June 5, 2018}}</ref>
* 1998 [[National Football Foundation Distinguished American Award|Distinguished American Award]] by the National Football Foundation
* 2003 [[Alabama Sports Hall of Fame]] inductee<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://ashof.org/inductees/RoyKramer|title=Roy Kramer|website=Alabama Sports Hall of Fame|language=en|access-date=June 5, 2018}}</ref>
* 2008 Awarded the [[Distinguished Eagle Scout Award]]<ref>{{cite news | first=Kevin | last=Cowan | title=Attorney's new home christened in festive fashion | date=January 13, 2008 | work =Knoxville News Sentinel | pages =http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2008/Jan/13/attorneys-new-home-christened-in-festive-fashion/ }}</ref> 
* 2008 Vanderbilt Athletics Hall of Fame inductee as part of its inaugural class<ref>{{cite web|url=http://vucommodores.cstv.com/ot/2008-hof.html|title=Vanderbilt Athletics Announces Inaugural Hall of Fame Class|date=June 26, 2008|publisher=[[Vanderbilt University]]|access-date=June 26, 2008|archive-date=June 28, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080628112425/http://vucommodores.cstv.com/ot/2008-hof.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>  
* 2011 [[National College Football Awards Association|NCFAA]] Contribution to College Football Award<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.espn.com/espn/wire/_/section/ncf/id/7334145|title=2011 College Football Award Winners|work=ESPN.com|access-date=June 5, 2018}}</ref>
* 2013 East Lansing HS Athletics Hall of Fame inductee<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=http://www.elhshalloffame.com/roy-kramer.html|title=Roy Kramer|website=East Lansing High School Hall of Fame|access-date=June 5, 2018}}</ref>
* 2013 Awarded the Duffy Daugherty Award<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.spartannation.com/2013/04/17/dont-miss-the-2013-duffy-daugherty-memorial-award-dinner-thursday-this-years-winner-is-roy-kramer/|title=Don't Miss the 2013 Duffy Daugherty Memorial Award Dinner Thursday! This Year's Winner is: Roy Kramer! {{!}} Spartan Nation|website=www.spartannation.com|language=en-US|access-date=June 5, 2018}}</ref>

==Head coaching record==
===College===
{{CFB Yearly Record Start | type = coach | team = | conf = | bowl = | poll = no }}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead
 | name         = [[Central Michigan Chippewas football|Central Michigan Chippewas]]
 | conf         = [[Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference]]
 | startyear    = 1967
 | endyear      = 1969
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = conference
 | year         = [[1967 NCAA College Division football season|1967]]
 | name         = [[1967 Central Michigan Chippewas football team|Central Michigan]]
 | overall      = 8–2
 | conference   = 2–1
 | confstanding = 1st
 | bowlname     = 
 | bowloutcome  = 
 | bcsbowl      = 
 | ranking      = no
 | ranking2     = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = conference
 | year         = [[1968 NCAA College Division football season|1968]]
 | name         = [[1968 Central Michigan Chippewas football team|Central Michigan]]
 | overall      = 7–2
 | conference   = 2–1
 | confstanding = 1st
 | bowlname     = 
 | bowloutcome  = 
 | bcsbowl      = 
 | ranking      = no
 | ranking2     = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | year         = [[1969 NCAA College Division football season|1969]]
 | name         = [[1969 Central Michigan Chippewas football team|Central Michigan]]
 | overall      = 7–3
 | conference   = 2–1
 | confstanding = 2nd
 | bowlname     = 
 | bowloutcome  = 
 | bcsbowl      = 
 | ranking      = no
 | ranking2     = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead
 | name         = [[Central Michigan Chippewas football|Central Michigan Chippewas]]
 | conf         = [[NCAA Division II independent schools|NCAA College Division / Division II independent]]
 | startyear    = 1970
 | endyear      = 1974
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | year         = [[1970 NCAA College Division football season|1970]]
 | name         = [[1970 Central Michigan Chippewas football team|Central Michigan]]
 | overall      = 7–3
 | conference   = 
 | confstanding = 
 | bowlname     = 
 | bowloutcome  = 
 | bcsbowl      = 
 | ranking      = no
 | ranking2     = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | year         = [[1971 NCAA College Division football season|1971]]
 | name         = [[1971 Central Michigan Chippewas football team|Central Michigan]]
 | overall      = 5–5
 | conference   = 
 | confstanding = 
 | bowlname     = 
 | bowloutcome  = 
 | bcsbowl      = 
 | ranking      = no
 | ranking2     = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | year         = [[1972 NCAA College Division football season|1972]]
 | name         = [[1972 Central Michigan Chippewas football team|Central Michigan]]
 | overall      = 5–5–1
 | conference   = 
 | confstanding = 
 | bowlname     = 
 | bowloutcome  = 
 | bcsbowl      = 
 | ranking      = no
 | ranking2     = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | year         = [[1973 NCAA Division II football season|1973]]
 | name         = [[1973 Central Michigan Chippewas football team|Central Michigan]]
 | overall      = 7–4
 | conference   = 
 | confstanding = 
 | bowlname     = 
 | bowloutcome  = 
 | bcsbowl      = 
 | ranking      = no
 | ranking2     = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = national
 | year         = [[1974 NCAA Division II football season|1974]]
 | name         = [[1974 Central Michigan Chippewas football team|Central Michigan]]
 | overall      = 12–1
 | conference   = 
 | confstanding = 
 | bowlname     = [[NCAA Division II Football Championship|NCAA Division II Championship]]
 | bowloutcome  = W
 | bcsbowl      = 
 | ranking      = no
 | ranking2     = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead
 | name         = [[Central Michigan Chippewas football|Central Michigan Chippewas]]
 | conf         = [[Mid-American Conference]]
 | startyear    = 1975
 | endyear      = 1977
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | year         = [[1975 NCAA Division I football season|1975]]
 | name         = [[1975 Central Michigan Chippewas football team|Central Michigan]]
 | overall      = 8–2–1
 | conference   = 4–1–1
 | confstanding = 2nd
 | bowlname     = 
 | bowloutcome  = 
 | bcsbowl      = 
 | ranking      = no
 | ranking2     = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | year         = [[1976 NCAA Division I football season|1976]]
 | name         = [[1976 Central Michigan Chippewas football team|Central Michigan]]
 | overall      = 7–4
 | conference   = 4–3
 | confstanding = T–5th
 | bowlname     = 
 | bowloutcome  = 
 | bcsbowl      = 
 | ranking      = no
 | ranking2     = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | year         = [[1977 NCAA Division I football season|1977]]
 | name         = [[1977 Central Michigan Chippewas football team|Central Michigan]]
 | overall      = 10–1
 | conference   = 7–1
 | confstanding = 2nd
 | bowlname     = 
 | bowloutcome  = 
 | bcsbowl      = 
 | ranking      = no
 | ranking2     = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subtotal
 | name         = Central Michigan
 | overall      = 83–32–2
 | confrecord   = 21–8–1
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record End
 | overall      = 83–32–2
 | bowls        = no
 | poll         = no
 | polltype     = 
}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{College Football HoF|2522}}
* ''[https://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2013/02/18/Champions/Roy-Kramer.aspx Tough as Nails: 2013 class of The Champions: Pioneers & Innovators in Sports Business]''
* [http://www.easttnhistory.org/people/roy-kramer East Tennessean of the Year]
* [http://a.co/367JU5H The Complete Book of the I-Formation]

{{Central Michigan Chippewas football coach navbox}}
{{Vanderbilt Commodores athletic director navbox}}
{{Southeastern Conference commissioner navbox}}
{{1974 Central Michigan Chippewas football navbox}}
{{National Football Foundation Distinguished American Award}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kramer, Roy}}
[[Category:1929 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Central Michigan Chippewas football coaches]]
[[Category:Southeastern Conference commissioners]]
[[Category:Vanderbilt Commodores athletic directors]]
[[Category:High school football coaches in Michigan]]
[[Category:College Football Hall of Fame inductees]]
[[Category:Maryville College alumni]]
[[Category:University of Michigan alumni]]
[[Category:People from Maryville, Tennessee]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Blount County, Tennessee]]
[[Category:Coaches of American football from Tennessee]]