A Central Life: Edwards Retires After 43 Years
Larry Happel '81
August 18, 2015
John Edwards
Transitioning from 43 years as a Central College staff member and a 47-year affiliation with the Dutch, associate athletics director for operations John Edwards retired in June.
But Edwards’s passion for Central athletics will continue, as will some limited duties in which he will ensure that the A.N. Kuyper Athletics Complex baseball and softball fields are kept in pristine condition.
A 1972 Central graduate, Edwards earned eight varsity letters in football and baseball. He was selected three consecutive years to the NAIA District 15 all-area baseball team and to the NAIA all-America squad in 1970. He was Central’s head baseball coach for 25 years (1978-2002) and was an assistant football coach—primarily working with the offensive line—for 24 seasons (1973-96).
Edwards was an admission office staff member for 23 years, eventually serving as associate director, before moving to the athletics department full-time. He was Central’s interim athletics director for the 1996-97 academic year and again during 2005-06. Edwards is now responsible for all scheduling in the athletics complex while also overseeing equipment room operations and coordinating event management.
“For 43 years, John has been a tremendous ambassador for Central College and for serving our student-athletes,” said athletics director Eric Van Kley. “He has a tireless work ethic and a deep commitment to Central students. I will be forever grateful for what he’s done for me as well as the college and we wish him and his wife, Mary, nothing but the best in the future. And we’re happy that John will still be here, helping us on a limited basis. He’ll forever be a part of the Central family.”
Central athletics icon Richard “Babe” Tysseling ’32, a standout athlete and longtime coach and athletics director, was serving as admission director when he hired Edwards following graduation, with some encouragement from president Ken Weller. Edwards never wanted to be anywhere else.
“It’s people that have kept me here over the years,” he said. “The thing I still like and will miss the most is being around the kids. The relationships you build with them. You see these students grow and blossom into pretty good athletes and even better leaders and people. We’ve had some great kids go through here.”
Edwards and his wife, Mary ‘79, got to watch their three children compete for the Dutch. Josh ‘03 was a member of the Dutch football team, Holly (Edwards) Roby ’05 was an outfielder for the Central softball team and a member of the 2003 NCAA Division III championship team, and son Michael ‘08 was a standout with the Central baseball team.