Averett Announces AD Hiltunen's Retirement

January 15, 2004 – Dr. Richard Pfau, Averett University president, announced Thursday that Director of Athletics Vesa Hiltunen will retire from his post effective June 30, 2004.

"Vesa Hiltunen has led our athletic program for the past 23 years," Pfau said. "His devotion to Averett, his commitment to high academic and athletic standards and his concern for students have made him a tremendous asset to this university. His leadership will be sorely missed."  According to Pfau, a national search will begin immediately for Hiltunen's replacement.

Hiltunen began his tenure at Averett in 1976 as head coach of both the men’s soccer and men’s tennis teams before being promoted to the athletics director's position in 1981.  He continued to serve as soccer coach until 1989 and still heads the men’s tennis program. 

“I have given this decision a tremendous amount of consideration and it feels like an appropriate time to retire,” Hiltunen said.  “The department has made great strides in the last few years and continues to move forward thanks to the hard work and dedication of many staff members and student-athletes.  Their continued efforts have made Averett athletics what it is today.”

Hiltunen oversees 15 full-time employees and 14 intercollegiate sports teams and their budgets.  When he accepted the position, Averett fielded only six athletic teams without a recruiting budget.  Hiltunen was instrumental in the growth of Cougar athletics as he more than doubled the number of sports offered by the university.  Under Hiltunen, Averett added eight athletic programs, which include women’s soccer, women’s volleyball, softball, men’s and women’s cross-country, baseball, football, and women’s lacrosse.  Today there are more than 250 student-athletes that compete for the Blue and Gold.

Hiltunen is also credited with building the Cougar athletic program into one of the best in the USA South Conference. Averett has captured 29 conference titles and a 2003 NCAA National Golf Title during his stint as athletics director. 

Facilities prior to the Hiltunen era were substandard for schools in the USA South Conference.  Many Cougar teams had to compete on fields off campus, but Averett now proudly boasts one of the best athletic centers in NCAA Division III with the 1998 construction of the Grant Center and the athletic fields on Averett University’s North Campus.

As a coach, Hiltunen guided his soccer team to three conference crowns and his tennis team to eight conference championships.  He earned conference Coach of the Year honors once in soccer and on six occasions as tennis coach.  Hiltunen was also named the South Region Men’s Tennis Coach of the Year in 1996 and 1998.

A native of Oulu, Finland, Hiltunen is also responsible for opening a relationship between Averett and Finland.  Nearly 100 students from Finland have completed degrees at Averett, including 14 All-American Finnish athletes.

Hiltunen graduated from Guilford College in 1973 with a bachelor’s degree in physical education and went on to earn his master’s degree from Springfield College.  He served as the program director at the YMCA in Helsinki, Finland, and Queens, N.Y. before heading to Averett.  Hiltunen has one daughter, Tuulia Myers, who lives in Scottsdale, Ariz.

For information on the Athletic Director opening, please consult the Averett website.