Longtime Central Michigan University sports information
director Fred Stabley Jr., has announced that he will be retiring in early
July. Stabley has been the head SID at CMU for the last 23 years, joining
the Chippewas on August 30, 1982.
"It's been a great run and now it's time to back off a bit," Stabley
said. "Central Michigan University has been wonderful to me and I'm a
Chippewa for life.
"I've loved every second of my time at CMU and feel privileged to have
held this job for 23 years. I¹m truly amazed at how far CMU Athletics has
come in terms of facilities and success at the conference and national
level."
Stabley has coordinated the media relations efforts for all 16 of
CMU's varsity sports while directly working with the baseball, basketball and
football teams over the years. In fact, he has handled football and
baseball all 23 seasons.
A 1970 graduate of Michigan State University, Stabley is a part of a
three-generation SID family. His father, Fred Sr., was the SID at
Michigan State for 32 years and was one of the pioneers in the profession. His
daughter, Amy, served as an assistant SID at Texas for five years and the
SID at Oakland University for five years. She is currently an assistant
to the athletics director at OU.
Fred served as the president of the College Sports Information
Directors of America for the 2000-01 school year and he coordinated the press box
operations for the first seven Motor City Bowls. He also worked the 1996
Olympic Games in Atlanta as a member of the baseball information team.
Prior to coming to CMU, Stabley was a sportswriter at the Lansing
State Journal for 12 years. There he gave a young high school sophomore Earvin
Johnson the nickname of Magic.
Fred and wife Barbara have three children: Amy Jo Hirschman, Bethanie
Lambie and Kyle; and five grandchildren.