Georgetown, KY – Georgetown College’s men’s head basketball coach, Robert “Happy” Osborne, Jr., has resigned to become an associate head coach at Tennessee Tech of the Ohio Valley Conference, it was announced today by Georgetown President William H. Crouch, Jr.

Osborne, a six-time Mid-South Conference Coach of the Year, spent the past 15 years as the head basketball coach for the Tigers, establishing a 456-84 won-loss record over the past decade and a half. Before that he served as an assistant coach to the late alumnus Jim Reid, who was head coach for 23 years. Before Coach Reid, Robert Davis served as men’s basketball head coach for 20 years.

“When you think of a Georgetown College ambassador, you think of Happy Osborne,” said Crouch. “His success is unparalleled within collegiate basketball circles. He will be greatly missed. The Davis-Reid-Osborne coaching legacy has built a NAIA basketball powerhouse. We are dedicated to continuing this rich tradition of success.”

Osborne has been a huge part of the legacy of Georgetown College basketball. As head coach, Osborne has a .844 winning percentage. He won a NAIA national title in 1998, has led the Tigers to the NAIA finals twice and the Fab Four four times, including this past season. He has led Georgetown to 12 of 15 Mid-South Conference regular season titles and nine conference tournament crowns.

Under Coach Osborne, Georgetown College has averaged 30.4 wins a season. He achieved 100 games and 400 games wins quicker than any other coach, according to college records.

“We will seek the next great coach to assure Georgetown College basketball reflects the institutional mission to make a difference in the lives of our students,” Crouch said.

Athletic Director Brian Evans stated, “We celebrate Coach Osborne’s more than 30 years of dedicated service not only to Georgetown College but also to the community.”

At Tennessee Tech, Osborne will work under Steve Payne, a former assistant at Georgetown.

Georgetown, KY – Georgetown College takes the stand that a great liberal arts education is critical to becoming successful and/or socially responsible in today’s changing world. That makes preparing its students for graduate school now more vital than ever.

So, when U.S. News and World Report released a report earlier this month that percentage-wise Georgetown College was among the top 10 institutions that sent its students to graduate school within a year of graduation, GC Provost Rosemary Allen was gratified by what the recognition signifies.

“The capacity to get into grad school is one of the more important things an institution can give its students,” Dr. Allen said. “Our high level of acceptance rate is testimony not only to the quality of education our students receive, but also the personal investment our faculty make in writing quality letters of recommendation.”

She added, “Our faculty really know our students and they can write letters that reflect that knowledge.”

Dr. Allen knows that will matter to young people and the parents who are helping their student choose a college. So will this line from the U.S. News story: “For high schoolers interested in one day pursuing a graduate degree, it’s important to take note of the schools that are well versed in preparing students for the next level.”

Georgetown College – at 65 percent – was tenth among ranked colleges with the highest percentages of 2009 graduates that went on to pursue graduate degrees within a year. This is according to data provided by colleges to U.S News in a 2010 survey of undergraduate programs. Georgetown’s figure came from a survey of recent young alumni, said GC institutional research associate Jason Terwilliger.

Topping the list was Yeshiva University (NY) at 89 percent. Three of the next four were also New York institutions – SUNY College-Old Westbury, Vaughn College of Aeronautics and Technology, Hawaii Pacific University, and SUNY College of Technology-Delhi.

Garvel Kindrick '85

Georgetown, KY – VP for Enrollment Garvel Kindrick ‘85 announced his resignation yesterday, but he isn’t straying far from his beloved alma mater as he takes on a new opportunity. He won’t actually be leaving his post until Sept. 30; then, for most of the academic year, there are plans for him to work part-time with our team that’s focused on reaffirming Georgetown College’s accreditation – something that takes place every 10 years with the Southern Association of Colleges & Schools (SACS).

In an e-mail to the campus community, he explained his difficult decision: “This has been my home for the past thirty years and even considering doing something different has been a bit difficult.  However, earlier this summer I was approached by a leading national enrollment management consulting firm, Ruffalo Cody, for a new position they have created:  Senior Report and Research Analyst. While Ruffalo Cody is based in Iowa, this position will allow me to work with colleges and universities all over the country “from home.” It was a difficult decision but one that seems to be best for me and my family at this time.  Georgetown College has been a vital part of my life and I look forward to engaging continually with the college in new and different ways.”

Kindrick’s announcement comes a little more than a week before new students move in, but the numbers – especially during hard economic times – are extraordinary.

He pointed out that:

• the incoming class will be at least 8% over the size of last year’s class. 
• we currently have schedules on 399 new students (compared to 360 or so about the same time last year). 
• we currently have 843 returning students registered full-time (20 more than we have predicted to end up with). 

“I cannot say enough about the efforts made by many on campus to assist returning students in the face of lost federal and/or state government grants,” Kindrick wrote. “Part of the reason I’ve been at Georgetown so long is the dedicated people I’ve gotten to work with.”

Kindrick’s heart is also very much rooted in the Georgetown community. In December, he will become President of the Scott County/Georgetown Chamber of Commerce for the next year and then Past President the year after that.

His wife, Kimberly Stone Kindrick ’87 retired from the Kentucky Retirement Systems several years ago. They have two children – Jessica, a sophomore at Scott County High, and Kirsten, a sixth-grader at Scott Middle School.

Georgetown, KY – There’s more exciting news from U.S. News & World Report. The magazine asked guidance counselors from America’s Best High Schools in spring 2010 to tell them which national liberal arts colleges they think offer the best undergraduate education to their students — and Georgetown College certainly came to mind, ranking high on their list.

Georgetown College was ranked at No. 110 – in a tie with such schools as Albion College, Bennington College, Eckerd College, Presbyterian College, Sweet Briar College and Wittenberg University.

“Guidance counselors are overworked and underpaid and to keep up with all the college options their students have is no small task,” said Garvel Kindrick, Georgetown’s VP for Enrollment. “We’re proud Georgetown College is one of the top colleges in the minds of guidance counselors.”

Centre College (47) and Berea College and Asbury College (tied at 83) were the only Kentucky institutions ranked higher.