09/17/2020
Chi Alpha Sigma mourns the passing of founder Nick Mourouzis
RIVER FALLS, Wis. -- Nick Mourouzis, founder of the National College Athlete Honor Society, passed away on Wednesday evening.
A 1959 graduate of Miami University, "Coach Nick" served as head football coach and a professor of kinesiology at DePauw University for nearly a quarter of a century. From 1981-2003, he led the Tigers to a 138-87-4 record. He was named the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Coach of the Year in 2000 after leading DePauw to a three-way share of the conference title and was selected the Indiana Collegiate Athletic Conference Coach of the Year in 1996 and 1990.
"I was fortunate to know and be around Coach Nick while working in the athletics department at DePauw University," Chi Alpha Sigma Executive Director Kellen Wells-Mangold said. "Never once did he come into the office and not have a smile on his face. He was jovial, high-energy, saw the best in everyone, and loved being around student-athletes."
In 1996, Mourouzis founded the National College Athlete Honor Society, known as Chi Alpha Sigma, which established the first and only nonprofit organization to recognize college student-athletes who excel both on and off the field of competition.
"College athletics have received a tremendous amount of criticism in recent years for overemphasizing athletics and underemphasizing academics," Mourouzis said at the time. "We need to renew the emphasis on the 'student' part of the term 'student-athlete.'"
His vision was to provide outstanding student-athletes with an opportunity to become connected within a fraternal association that aligns their educational and athletic successes for a lifetime. That founding principle has served as the guiding force for the National College Athlete Honor Society more than two decades, leading the organization to grow to 289 chapters across 42 states.
The mark Coach Nick left on Chi Alpha Sigma and college athletics as a whole is truly indelible. As we mourn his passing, we will also cherish his memory through the continued celebration of what he treasured most in his profession: student-athletes. His vision for the National College Athlete Honor Society has led to thousands upon thousands of young men and women being rightfully recognized for their excellence as true student-athletes, and his legacy will live on through both the mission of Chi Alpha Sigma and its postgraduate scholarship endowment named in his honor.
Arrangement details and additional tributes for Coach Nick will be available at DePauwTigers.com.
The National College Athlete Honor Society, Inc., known as Chi Alpha Sigma, is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that founded in 1996. Chi Alpha Sigma works with state chapters to recognize college student-athletes who succeed in their sport and in the classroom.