Bill Krejci

Bill Krejci, long-time SWCC athletic director, athletic fundraiser, coach, and instructor, was inducted into Southwestern's Athletic Hall of Fame during a ceremony held Sat., December 6, 2014, at 2:30 p.m. between the women's and men's basketball games.

For years, the name Bill Krejci has been synonymous with Southwestern Community College athletics. Student activities assistant, coach, instructor, athletic director, athletic fundraiser—these are all titles Krejci held during his tenure at Southwestern. Due to his lifelong commitment to the college, Bill Krejci becomes the second inductee in the Southwestern Community College Athletic Hall of Fame.

Originally a "Chicago boy," it was 1978 when Krejci started at Southwestern Community College as assistant director of student activities, physical education instructor, and head baseball coach. Krejci came to Southwestern from Thomas Jefferson High School in Council Bluffs, where he served as assistant baseball coach from 1977-78. Prior to that, Krejci had been at Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville, MO, where he played for the Bearcats from 1971-73. He served as an assistant for the Bearcats baseball team while he completed his graduate studies, earning a master's degree in education in 1976. He helped lead the Bearcats to the NCAA Division II World Series that same year.

Throughout his 22 years of coaching, Krejci put SWCC baseball on the map, earning the respect of players and coaches nationwide. He oftentimes had players who were recruited by four-year college programs throughout the United States and continues to keep in touch with many of them today. In addition, Krejci was the men's basketball coach for eight years.

In September 1999, after 22 years at the helm of the college's baseball program, Krejci resigned from his position as head baseball coach and became athletic director/fundraiser at the college. During Krejci's time in this role, he increased fundraising for athletics tremendously by establishing two annual events—the Athletic Fundraiser Auction and the SWCC Golf Tournament—as well as creating the Southwestern Athletic Booster Club. These events and activities, in addition to other fundraising efforts, have become traditions at the college bringing in approximately $50,000 for athletics each year.

It was June 2009 when Krejci retired from his full-time position as physical education instructor and athletic director. He didn't stay away long; however, coming back to the college part-time as director of athletics and athletic fundraising in August 2009.

Dr. Barb Crittenden, SWCC president, is proud of the progress SWCC athletics has made under Krejci's direction.

"We added a number of athletic programs and activities during Bill's tenure," Crittenden explained. "In his role as athletic director, he has raised the expectations for event management and support for student-athletes at Southwestern. His efforts in fundraising have been an important part of this."

Athletic programs added in recent years at SWCC have included cross country, drill team, golf, sports shooting, and track and field.

In addition to his duties at SWCC, Krejci has been very involved in the USA Baseball program for the past 19 years. To date, he has been an 18-U national coach, a 16-U head coach and assistant coach, a 12-U team general manager, a clinician for USA Baseball camps, and a cross checker in the player selection process. This year alone, Krejci traveled to Russia for 10 days in March completed a three-week stint in Mexico to do coaching clinics.

During the summers of 2007 and 2008, Krejci coached the Creston High School baseball team. His 2007 Creston Panther team qualified for the Iowa High School State Baseball Tournament.

Krejci was inducted into the St. Laurence High School Athletic Hall of Fame in 1987, the Northwest Missouri State Athletic Hall of Fame in 1996, the Iowa Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2002. In 1999, Krejci received the United State Olympic Committee (USOC) Developmental Coach of the Year.

The Krejcis have two grown children, Michael and Maria.