Ruthsatz hired as athletic director, dean of students at Sandusky Central Catholic
By MIKE LILJE, Sandusky Central Catholic School
Steve Ruthsatz has been hired as the Athletic Director/Dean of Students at Sandusky Central Catholic School. Ruthsatz is the sports information director at Defiance College. A 1985 graduate of St. Mary Central Catholic High School, Ruthsatz competed in four sports for the Panthers, earning a total of eight varsity letters in golf, baseball and basketball. He was a starter on Sandusky Bay Conference championship teams in baseball and golf and as a senior, was named First Team All-SBC in golf and received all-conference recognition in baseball and basketball. Additionally, he played on the Firelands College basketball squad for two seasons.
“I certainly appreciate this wonderful opportunity to return to my alma mater as its Athletic Director and Dean of Students,” Ruthsatz said. “I began attending games and following the Panthers at a young age and being a former student-athlete at Sandusky Central Catholic, I am honored and humbled by being chosen to lead the athletic department and work with all of the students, coaches, faculty, staff and families.
“I want to thank everyone involved in the hiring process, especially Geoff Palmer, the Head of School and President, and Ryan Wikel, the Principal of the High School and Middle School. Under their direction and leadership, I look forward to coming back to the Sandusky area and being a part of all of the great things happening with SCCS.”
“We were pleased to receive application materials from a pool of highly qualified candidates,” Palmer said. “Mr. Ruthsatz was selected following interviews with two committees consisting of administrators, teachers, coaches, booster club officers and board members. We feel we have a great candidate — one who knows our school and its expectations, is connected to the area, and has an incredible breadth of experience in managing and promoting athletics.”
Most of Ruthsatz’s experience has come in higher education and intercollegiate athletics. Over the past three decades, he has worked at several colleges and universities at the NCAA Division I, Division II, Division III and NAIA levels. With a communications background, Ruthsatz has written for four daily newspapers – two in Georgia and two in Ohio, including the Sandusky Register under the late Charles “Butch” Wagner. In Atlanta, he also was active working various sporting events like Atlanta Falcons home games and NCAA basketball tournaments, including a Final Four for both the men and women. Ruthsatz was the interview room manager in press operations for baseball at the 1996 Summer Olympic Games. Before arriving in Defiance, Ruthsatz was at Kennesaw State, the second largest university in Georgia. He started as the senior communications specialist in the Division of University Advancement, but when the Unit of Advancement Communications disbanded, Ruthsatz spent his final three months there as a public relations specialist in the Department of Strategic Communications and Marketing. After earning a bachelor’s degree in sports management from Bowling Green State University, Ruthsatz received his master’s in education at Tusculum University. He also has spent time in the classroom as an adjunct instructor at both Reinhardt, where he taught an athletics and media relations course, and Kennesaw State. Ruthsatz is originally from Sandusky and will soon be making the move from Defiance with his wife, Kerry and dog, Cooper.
For questions, contact Mike Lilje at mlilje@sanduskyCC.org or call at 419-626-1892 ext. 314.
