John F. Vrooman

2012 University Medallion

John F. Vrooman retired from Coastal Carolina in 1998 as professor emeritus of history after more than 36 years of service to the university. In concert with his retirement, Coastal's Board of Trustees named him professor emeritus in January 1998.

Vrooman joined the Coastal faculty in 1968 as an adjunct faculty member; in 1971 he became a fulltime faculty member in the department of history. During his 36 years of service, he served in several capacities including academic dean, head baseball coach and interim athletic director.

Beyond his teaching responsibilities at CCU, he served as an academic dean for nine years. He also served as interim director of athletics and director of academic advisement and retention. He has served multiple terms on the board of directors of the Chanticleer Club and its predecessor, the CINO Club.

He was Coastal's head baseball coach for 13 seasons, including from 1974-1977 and from 1987-1995. He compiled a 345-256 (.574) record during his tenure, including six consecutive Big South Conference regular season titles from 1988 through 1993 and two conference tournament titles. In 1991, he coached Coastal to its first NCAA Division I Regional appearance in 1991. He was a two-time Big South Coach of the Year recipient, and the 1977 NAIA Southeastern Region Coach of the Year and one of eight finalists for the NAIA National Coach of the Year. He has been inducted into the Big South Conference Hall of Fame and the Coastal Carolina University Athletics Hall of Fame.

In 2004 the baseball playing field was named Vrooman Field in honor of the contributions of Vrooman and his parents, Irv and Bernice Vrooman, of Conway.

In addition to his career at Coastal, Vrooman served in the United States Air Force for a combination of 22 years on active duty and in the active reserve. He was chief of military personnel and later director of personnel of the former Myrtle Beach Air Force Base. He retired as a major in 1988. Vrooman also is the CEO of Carolina Oaks Corporation and operates Atlas Travel Agency in Conway, S.C.

He earned a bachelor's degree in history from Wesleyan University in 1965 and a master's degree in history from Rutgers University in 1966.

Vrooman’s wife Deborah retired from CCU as professor emeritus of mathematics after a 33-year career at Coastal.