Don Rominger

Donald William (Don) Rominger Jr. (born February 27, 1940) is a former university administrator and American football and track coach. He served as the head football coach at McPherson College in McPherson, Kansas for five seasons, from 1973 to 1977, and for two years as head track coach and athletics director, compiling a football coaching record of 11–34–2. His 1976 McPherson mark of 5 wins and 4 losses was the College's first winning football season in 18 years. (1)Donald W. Rominger, Jr. ^[1]

Rominger began his career as a teacher in a two room school near Tecumseh, Oklahoma, followed by a six year career as a high school track and football coach. He was in 1966 the track coach at Miami, Oklahoma, where he coached 1969 Heisman Trophy winner Steve Owens. From 1968 to 1971, Rominger was a member of the faculty at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College in Miami, Oklahoma, where was also head track coach and an assistant football coach.(2) Donald W. Rominger, Jr.^[2]

Following his coaching career, Rominger, spent more than thirty years in higher education administration. These including terms as Director of Student Development at the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma, 1979-83; vice president for student affairs at East Texas Baptist University, 1983-89 and vice president for academic affairs and graduate dean,1994-2000; and Vice President and Dean of the faculty at Kansas Wesleyan University, 1989-1994. In 2000, Rominger founded as president and chief executive officer a nascent all men's post secondary academy, the CrossRoads Academy and V-5 Institute (modeled partially after the World War II naval V-5 program). The program's name was later changed to the CrossRoads Institute and Public Service Academy. The Academy folded in 2009. (A successor to the Academy, named the CrossRoads Global Initiative, is located in Houston, Texas). (3) Donald W. Rominger, Jr.

Donald W. (Don) Rominger, Jr. was born in Shawnee, Oklahoma, the son of Donald W. and Winnie Townsend Rominger. He moved with his family in 1951 to a farm east of Tecumseh, Oklahoma and graduated from [[Tecumseh High School (Oklahoma)in 1958. He earned an undergraduate degree at Oklahoma Baptist University, a master's degree from the University of Oklahoma, and, in 1976, a Ph.D. in history from Oklahoma State University. Rominger in 2008 ran for Oklahoma Senate as the [[Republican Party candidate in his district. .^[3]

While at East Texas Baptist University, Rominger provided the research and development for beginning the Tiger varsity football program (launched in 2000). He also founded the institution's Athletic Hall of Fame award and the University's athletic fund raising arm. On April 24, 2021, Dr. Donald Rominger, Jr. was recognized by East Texas Baptist University as a member of the ETBU Athletic Hall of Fame.

Rominger is an authority on the World War II Navy V-5 Preflight Schools. In 1992, he hosted a 50th anniversary reunion of V-5 veterans in Salina, Kansas. He also organized oral histories of V-5 at Salina, and in 1995 at St. Mary's College in Moraga, California. A portion of the former records are located at the Navy Air Museum at NAS Pensacola in Pensacola, Florida.

Personal

Dr. Donald Rominger has been married twice. In 1961, he married Francis Barnes, and together they had one daughter, Leslie Rominger Bell, b. 1964. They divorced in 1971. In 1974 he married Janelle Morgan Rominger, a former college piano professor and church pianist. Together they have four children, Anne Rominger Campbell, b. 1977, Robert Rominger, b. 1979, Dr. Laura Rominger Porter, b. 1982, and Catherine Rominger Sauceda, b. 1983. He has 14 grandchildren. Rominger is a Southern Baptist.

The Romingers make their home in Tecumseh, Oklahoma. (4) Donald W. Rominger, Jr.

Head coaching record[]

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