SUNY Cortland Athletics

Jack Radzavicz excelled in three sports for the Red Dragons before embarking on a long and successful teaching and coaching career in the Cortland City School District.
 
Radzavicz earned a bachelor’s degree from Cortland in 1959 and a master’s degree in 1964. During his four-year football career for the Red Dragons, Radzavicz played offensively as a running back and defensively at linebacker or cornerback. A team tri-captain as a senior, he set school single-game and single-season rushing records and was selected to compete in the 1958 GEM Bowl East-West All-Star Game. He recorded an interception for the West squad, which was led by then-Northwestern and future Notre Dame head coach Ara Parseghian.
 
In addition to his gridiron prowess, Radzavicz played varsity lacrosse as a midfielder for two years, earning the Red Letter as a senior, and competed for two seasons on the track and field team in sprints, the long jump, the discus and the javelin throw. A four-year Beta Phi Epsilon member and the fraternity’s president as a senior, Radzavicz was selected as the 1959 Beta Sports King as the best male athlete on campus.
 
From 1960-92, Radzavicz taught physical education and coached in the Cortland City School District. At various times he coached football, baseball, golf and junior varsity basketball. Radzavicz also started an intramural lacrosse program in 1972 that eventually developed into a varsity program. He led the Cortland High School football team to three undefeated seasons, two section titles and many division and league crowns. Cortland has named its annual awards to the top male and female senior athletes for Jack and his late wife, Bonnie.
 
Radzavicz also served as a long-time area basketball official. The Horseheads, N.Y., native was inducted into the Elmira Hall of Fame (now the Chemung County Hall of Fame) in 1984 and the Horseheads High School Hall of Fame in 1998. He has been a long-time Elks Club member in Cortland, Southern Pines, N.C., and Penn Yan.

UPDATE: Radzavicz passed away on July 21, 2015 at age 77.