George Killian

George Killian started in sports administration as the basketball coach and athletic director at Erie Community College from 1954-69. He left that job to become the executive director of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) in 1969, having been named that group’s President in 1967. Killian served in that position until 2004. After his retirement the NJCAA commissioned the George E. Killian Award of Excellence, to be awarded annually to members of the NJCAA Board of Directors who embody his ideals of voluntarism, achievement, service, leadership, and excellence.

Killian was President of the Fédération Internationale de Basketball Amateur (FIBA) from 1990-98. Due to that position, he was an International Olympic Committee member from 1996-98. He served on the board of directors of USA Basketball from 26 years, and was on the US Olympic Committee’s board of directors from 1967-2004. In 1999, Killian was elected President of Fédération Internationale de Sports Universitaire (FISU), serving two terms before resigning in 2011. Killian was a member of the Erie Community College Athletic Hall of Fame,