Fulkerson To Be Honored At Game
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Dale [email protected]
In all reality, though, the long-time Warsaw Community High School Athletic Director is more of a teddy bear than a grizzly bear.[[In-content Ad]]Wawasee High School Athletic Director Mary Hurley, who was Fulkerson's assistant at WCHS for nearly 15 years, described him as someone who has always looked out for the best interest of the kids in the school.
"He's a student athlete's athletic director," said Hurley. "He's truly an advocate for the student athlete. He's always been an advocate for the kids who were disadvantaged. He always made sure everyone got an opportunity. I think a lot of that had to do with his upbringing, his experience at White's Institute and all the things he's experienced in his life. His passion has always been the kids, and he gets to live that every day through sports. He's got a great job in a great community."
Effective June 30, Fulkerson will step down as the WCHS Athletic Director, a position he has held for 26 years.
Fulkerson, who turned in a letter of resignation dated Dec. 17, will work work with Warsaw Community Schools during the 2008-2009 school year as an independent contractor.
The Warsaw School Board accepted Fulkerson's resignation at special meeting Jan. 7.
Friday, when the Tigers host Class 2A No. 4 Fort Wayne Bishop Luers, Fulkerson will be honored.
"Dave knows he's being honored, but we're trying to keep it a secret what we're going to do," said Warsaw Schools Superintendent Dr. Robert Haworth.
Though he's only in his second year with WCS, Haworth said he's noticed Fulkerson's special relationship with the students.
"He's certainly a man who loves the students," said Haworth, a former athletic director and boys basketball coach at Springs Valley. "It's very evident he loves the student body and that the students love him right back, both athletes and non-athletes."
Not only does he have the respect and admiration of the student body, his peers have plenty of of respect for him, not to mention a plethora of humorous stories.
"Whenever I had a question, he was one of the first guys I would go to," said Huntington North Athletic Director Joe Santa. "He's been like a mentor. I've been here for 17 years, and Dave's been at Warsaw every one of those years. We used to alternate hosting tournament events. I used to watch the way Dave ran his tournaments because he does things the right way. Dave takes his job serious, but he has a way of making things fun. We used to have a rivalry to see who had the best hospitality room. I like to believe I always won."
Among the funny stories Santa had to tell of Fulkerson, one of his favorites was Fulkerson calling him and letting him know he was there to watch a softball game.
"Dave calls me, he must have used a cell phone because he said he was at the game," said Santa. "I couldn't find him anywhere. When I finally found him, he had his Cadillac parked all the way up next to the fence and he was eating chicken gizzards and drinking Diet Pepsi. Now everytime I come up to Warsaw I tell him I'm going to stop at KFC."
Among Hurley's humorous recollections was the time she was a health teacher at WCHS. While watching her class one day, he had a unique way of keeping the students entertained.
"He was watching my health class one day, and for whatever reason we had doughnuts that day," said Hurley. "And in the hour that Dave was watching the class, he managed to eat two dozen doughnuts. There's a lot of stories, I could go on forever. That's just Dave. He has a way of making things fun."
In a more serious tone, Hurley talked about Fulkerson's passion for helping disadvantaged kids and making sure everyone got an opportunity.
Some people know it, others don't, but growing up Fulkerson was one of those disadvantaged kids. Someone gave him a chance, though, and he's tried to extend that love to the students today.
"Growing up, I was so far on the other side of the tracks I couldn't hear the whistle blow when the train went by," said the 69-year-old Fulkerson. "I was the first person in my family to graduate high school and college. The majority of my relatives, including my mother and stepfather, were addicted to drugs."
Fulkerson and his two biological brothers and sister were removed from their rough home situation and placed in children's homes as wards of the state.
Fulkerson spent the first two years of his high school career at White's Institute in Wabash.
Before his junior year, Fulkerson was taken in by a foster family, and he became a superstar basketball player at Noble Township High School in Wabash, which has sense closed its doors.
"I really have to thank John and Maxine Peebles," said Fulkerson. "When I was a junior in high school, they opened up their arms and let me be a part of their family. John and Maxine Peebles and their sons Steve and Ronny, they made me a part of their family. I'll never forget that."
Playing two years at White's and two years at Noble Township, Fulkerson became Wabash County's career scoring leader, and his record stood for 30 years.
After graduating high school, Fulkerson attended the University of Evansville, where he played basketball for two years for the Purple Aces, who were a NCAA Div. II program at the time.
Fulkerson later became an assistant coach and was the one who recruited Jerry Sloan to play for the Purple Aces after he left the University of Illinois.
Sloan, still the coach of the Utah Jazz, led Evansville to back-to-back Divison II national championships in 1964 and 1965, including a 29-0 record in the latter.
Fulkerson fondly rememberd knocking on Sloan's door that day so many years ago.
"I driver over to Gobblers Knob, Illinois to talk to Jerry Sloan," said Fulkerson. "His mom answers and says Jerry's in the back working in the garden. His mom was chewing tobacco and spitting it everywhere. So I go back to the garden to talk to Jerry and he's chewing on some tobacco, too. He offers me some, and I say 'yeah, sure I chew tobacco all the time.' Well, the truth was I didn't ever chew tobacco. So I'm chewing on this tobacco, trying to get Jerry Sloan to come to Evansville, and I didn't notice that I wasn't spitting the juice out. After I left, I got half a mile down the road and had to pull over. My face was so green. I spit up everything but my intestines."
To this day, Fulkerson wears the Evansville national championship ring. On the other hand he wears the 1984 WCHS state championship ring.
His first job as a coach after he left Evansville was in Windsor, Ill. And he says he has Sloan to thank for that.
"I got my first job in Windsor, Ill.," said Fulkerson. "I was a P.E. teacher and JV basketball coach. Jerry went over there with me. Now you have to understand, Jerry Sloan was big-time basketball to people in Illinois. We went over to talk to a guy named Ralph Curry. I had an interview at 5 o'clock on a Monday. The guy knew Jerry, and we all sat down in our chairs and started talking. Long story short, He talked to Jerry for 55 minutes. I got a five-minute interview. He asked Jerry, 'Jerry, you think this guy would do a good job for us?' Jerry said, 'Yeah, Mr. Fulkerson would do a great job for you. I think I set the record for shortest interview ever. It was five minutes and I didn't say 10 words. Somehow I got the job."
Fulkerson has also been the athletic director and coach at White's. He's worked in the athletic department at what is now the University of St. Francis.
He was even the boys basketball coach at Columbia City High School, coaching the Eagles to the sectional championship in 1978. They didn't win another sectional championship until 1998.
Fulkerson came to Warsaw in 1982, and has been the athletic director as WCHS won the 1984 state championship in boys basketball, the 1991 state championship in softball and the 2005 state championship in boys golf.
He smiled ear to ear talking about Kerry White's two state titles in track, Emily Johnson's two state titles in girls golf, Nate Taylor's state championship in swimming, among other numerous individual awards Warsaw athletes have garnered over the years.
There's the two Mr. Basketballs, Jeff Grose (1985) and Kevin Ault (1996), along with Jaclyn Leininger, who was named Miss Basketball in 2004.
Through all of his accomplishments, and all the funny stories so many people have and love to tell, for Fulkerson, it's always been about the students.
"In 26 years, I've been fortunate to see well over 10,000 students graduate from Warsaw Community High School," said Fulkerson. "When you see them come in as freshman, sometimes they don't know up from down. You get to watch those students grow into young adults. I went to a conference about 30 years ago, and I'll never forget it. They said if you can change a student's direction in life and make them a productive member of society, that alone is a great accomplishment."
In all reality, though, the long-time Warsaw Community High School Athletic Director is more of a teddy bear than a grizzly bear.[[In-content Ad]]Wawasee High School Athletic Director Mary Hurley, who was Fulkerson's assistant at WCHS for nearly 15 years, described him as someone who has always looked out for the best interest of the kids in the school.
"He's a student athlete's athletic director," said Hurley. "He's truly an advocate for the student athlete. He's always been an advocate for the kids who were disadvantaged. He always made sure everyone got an opportunity. I think a lot of that had to do with his upbringing, his experience at White's Institute and all the things he's experienced in his life. His passion has always been the kids, and he gets to live that every day through sports. He's got a great job in a great community."
Effective June 30, Fulkerson will step down as the WCHS Athletic Director, a position he has held for 26 years.
Fulkerson, who turned in a letter of resignation dated Dec. 17, will work work with Warsaw Community Schools during the 2008-2009 school year as an independent contractor.
The Warsaw School Board accepted Fulkerson's resignation at special meeting Jan. 7.
Friday, when the Tigers host Class 2A No. 4 Fort Wayne Bishop Luers, Fulkerson will be honored.
"Dave knows he's being honored, but we're trying to keep it a secret what we're going to do," said Warsaw Schools Superintendent Dr. Robert Haworth.
Though he's only in his second year with WCS, Haworth said he's noticed Fulkerson's special relationship with the students.
"He's certainly a man who loves the students," said Haworth, a former athletic director and boys basketball coach at Springs Valley. "It's very evident he loves the student body and that the students love him right back, both athletes and non-athletes."
Not only does he have the respect and admiration of the student body, his peers have plenty of of respect for him, not to mention a plethora of humorous stories.
"Whenever I had a question, he was one of the first guys I would go to," said Huntington North Athletic Director Joe Santa. "He's been like a mentor. I've been here for 17 years, and Dave's been at Warsaw every one of those years. We used to alternate hosting tournament events. I used to watch the way Dave ran his tournaments because he does things the right way. Dave takes his job serious, but he has a way of making things fun. We used to have a rivalry to see who had the best hospitality room. I like to believe I always won."
Among the funny stories Santa had to tell of Fulkerson, one of his favorites was Fulkerson calling him and letting him know he was there to watch a softball game.
"Dave calls me, he must have used a cell phone because he said he was at the game," said Santa. "I couldn't find him anywhere. When I finally found him, he had his Cadillac parked all the way up next to the fence and he was eating chicken gizzards and drinking Diet Pepsi. Now everytime I come up to Warsaw I tell him I'm going to stop at KFC."
Among Hurley's humorous recollections was the time she was a health teacher at WCHS. While watching her class one day, he had a unique way of keeping the students entertained.
"He was watching my health class one day, and for whatever reason we had doughnuts that day," said Hurley. "And in the hour that Dave was watching the class, he managed to eat two dozen doughnuts. There's a lot of stories, I could go on forever. That's just Dave. He has a way of making things fun."
In a more serious tone, Hurley talked about Fulkerson's passion for helping disadvantaged kids and making sure everyone got an opportunity.
Some people know it, others don't, but growing up Fulkerson was one of those disadvantaged kids. Someone gave him a chance, though, and he's tried to extend that love to the students today.
"Growing up, I was so far on the other side of the tracks I couldn't hear the whistle blow when the train went by," said the 69-year-old Fulkerson. "I was the first person in my family to graduate high school and college. The majority of my relatives, including my mother and stepfather, were addicted to drugs."
Fulkerson and his two biological brothers and sister were removed from their rough home situation and placed in children's homes as wards of the state.
Fulkerson spent the first two years of his high school career at White's Institute in Wabash.
Before his junior year, Fulkerson was taken in by a foster family, and he became a superstar basketball player at Noble Township High School in Wabash, which has sense closed its doors.
"I really have to thank John and Maxine Peebles," said Fulkerson. "When I was a junior in high school, they opened up their arms and let me be a part of their family. John and Maxine Peebles and their sons Steve and Ronny, they made me a part of their family. I'll never forget that."
Playing two years at White's and two years at Noble Township, Fulkerson became Wabash County's career scoring leader, and his record stood for 30 years.
After graduating high school, Fulkerson attended the University of Evansville, where he played basketball for two years for the Purple Aces, who were a NCAA Div. II program at the time.
Fulkerson later became an assistant coach and was the one who recruited Jerry Sloan to play for the Purple Aces after he left the University of Illinois.
Sloan, still the coach of the Utah Jazz, led Evansville to back-to-back Divison II national championships in 1964 and 1965, including a 29-0 record in the latter.
Fulkerson fondly rememberd knocking on Sloan's door that day so many years ago.
"I driver over to Gobblers Knob, Illinois to talk to Jerry Sloan," said Fulkerson. "His mom answers and says Jerry's in the back working in the garden. His mom was chewing tobacco and spitting it everywhere. So I go back to the garden to talk to Jerry and he's chewing on some tobacco, too. He offers me some, and I say 'yeah, sure I chew tobacco all the time.' Well, the truth was I didn't ever chew tobacco. So I'm chewing on this tobacco, trying to get Jerry Sloan to come to Evansville, and I didn't notice that I wasn't spitting the juice out. After I left, I got half a mile down the road and had to pull over. My face was so green. I spit up everything but my intestines."
To this day, Fulkerson wears the Evansville national championship ring. On the other hand he wears the 1984 WCHS state championship ring.
His first job as a coach after he left Evansville was in Windsor, Ill. And he says he has Sloan to thank for that.
"I got my first job in Windsor, Ill.," said Fulkerson. "I was a P.E. teacher and JV basketball coach. Jerry went over there with me. Now you have to understand, Jerry Sloan was big-time basketball to people in Illinois. We went over to talk to a guy named Ralph Curry. I had an interview at 5 o'clock on a Monday. The guy knew Jerry, and we all sat down in our chairs and started talking. Long story short, He talked to Jerry for 55 minutes. I got a five-minute interview. He asked Jerry, 'Jerry, you think this guy would do a good job for us?' Jerry said, 'Yeah, Mr. Fulkerson would do a great job for you. I think I set the record for shortest interview ever. It was five minutes and I didn't say 10 words. Somehow I got the job."
Fulkerson has also been the athletic director and coach at White's. He's worked in the athletic department at what is now the University of St. Francis.
He was even the boys basketball coach at Columbia City High School, coaching the Eagles to the sectional championship in 1978. They didn't win another sectional championship until 1998.
Fulkerson came to Warsaw in 1982, and has been the athletic director as WCHS won the 1984 state championship in boys basketball, the 1991 state championship in softball and the 2005 state championship in boys golf.
He smiled ear to ear talking about Kerry White's two state titles in track, Emily Johnson's two state titles in girls golf, Nate Taylor's state championship in swimming, among other numerous individual awards Warsaw athletes have garnered over the years.
There's the two Mr. Basketballs, Jeff Grose (1985) and Kevin Ault (1996), along with Jaclyn Leininger, who was named Miss Basketball in 2004.
Through all of his accomplishments, and all the funny stories so many people have and love to tell, for Fulkerson, it's always been about the students.
"In 26 years, I've been fortunate to see well over 10,000 students graduate from Warsaw Community High School," said Fulkerson. "When you see them come in as freshman, sometimes they don't know up from down. You get to watch those students grow into young adults. I went to a conference about 30 years ago, and I'll never forget it. They said if you can change a student's direction in life and make them a productive member of society, that alone is a great accomplishment."
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