SUNY Cortland Athletics

Cortland Alumni can look with pride at the success of the Class of 1954's John Glinski, whose achievements as an outstanding student-athlete in his undergraduate years started him on his path to a role of leadership in Eastern intercollegiate athletics and physical education.

As a basketball player, by his junior season, he was regarded as one of the nation's best small college defensive forwards. But he could score as well, and led Cortland's scoring when the Dragons captured the 1952 Hofstra University tourney, in which he was selected as the tournament's Most Valuable Player. Glinski played for Coach Whitney T. Corey's great basketball teams of the early 1950's, and contributed to the Dragons' 25-game winning streak in intercollegiate competition, still a campus record. Glinski enjoyed similar success as a pitcher for Cortland baseball squads.

Following graduation, he was a draft choice of Philadelphia in the National Basketball Association, but elected instead to sign a baseball contract as a pitcher with the Baltimore Orioles' organization. When an arm injury ended his pitching career, he made collegiate teaching and coaching his life's work. A professor of physical education at SUNY Oswego, where he also served as varsity basketball coach and director of athletics, Glinski has compiled a fine record as a coach, teacher, and administrator of intercollegiate athletics. His Oswego teams have enjoyed some great seasons, winning State University Conference championships and piling up win-loss marks such as 20-2 and 19-2.

Under Glinski, the college's intercollegiate athletic program has expanded with the introduction of new sports including ice hockey. Glinski holds a baccalaureate degree in physical education from Cortland, a master's degree in physical education from the University of Michigan, and a doctorate in physical education from the University of Indiana.

UPDATE:  Glinski passed away on April 13, 2015, at the age of 85.