Dick Enberg CMU Alumni Commitment Award
David Keilitz ’64, ’65, ’75, ’05
David Keilitz '64, '65, '75, '05 arrived at CMU as a student-athlete in the fall of 1960 and altered the course of Chippewa's athletic history forever. In 1964, Dave became Central Michigan's first All-American baseball player. By the time his collegiate playing days came to an end, he had established 19 game, season, and career records for the Chippewa's. After serving the 1964-65 season as a graduate assistant, Dave was appointed coach of the CMU freshman baseball team and then was elevated to head coach. He started his head-coaching career by leading CMU to a No. 1 national ranking and into the NCAA College Division national championship game. It would be the first of six NCAA Championship appearances for Keilitz's Chippewa's
Throughout his 14-year coaching career, Dave never had a losing season, captured four conference championships, and was MAC Coach of the Year four times and NCAA Regional Coach of the Year twice. He coached eight All-Americans and 51 of his players signed professional contracts, with seven eventually making it to the major leagues.
In 1984, Dave was appointed as Central Michigan's athletic director until 1994 when he went to serve as the Executive Director of the American Baseball Coaches Association for 20 years and retired in May 2014. Dave also served as a member of the NCAA Council from 1989-92 in a variety of roles.
Dave is a member of the Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame (1989), Midland County Sports Hall of Fame (1991), Central Michigan Athletics Hall of Fame (1994), National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame (2008), and MAC Hall of Fame (2013).
Dave is committed to CMU and the surrounding community. Dave is a current member of the CMU Advancement Board and Fire Up for Excellence National Campaign Steering Committee. In 2002 he served as homecoming grand marshal and received the Centennial Award in 1992. Dave currently sits as a board member on the Mt. Pleasant Area Community Foundation, and he and his wife chaired the major gifts division committee of the Central Michigan Community Hospital campaign for the new cancer center.
Dave and Sue have two children Brad (1993 BS Psychology) and Craig (1991 BAA IPC).
He has shown his financial support by investing in CMU Baseball, Wrestling, Women's Softball, John G. Kulhavi Events Center, Theunissen Stadium, and Public Broadcasting, in addition to establishing the Dave and Sue Keilitz Family CMU Baseball Endowment.