In the aftermath of NIU gymnastics coach Chuck Ehrlich’s resignation, The Northern Star sports desk received a call from former Huskie star Doug Kieso.

I must admit never having met the 1983 NCAA pommel horse champion. However, his name is not foreign to my ears. By glancing through some of the NIU record books, one is certain to find the name Kieso here and there.

I wasn’t quite sure why he was calling. But later I would realize he called because he cares. Not only about the gymnastics program, but also NIU. Here’s a guy who devoted four years of his life to an institution that provided him with the opportunity to be the nation’s best. And now, with the threat of the gymnastics program being cut, Kieso wanted to speak a few words.

Not only words about the program’s near extinction, but also about his former mentor.

“Coach Ehrlich was the Bobby Knight of gymnastics,” said Keiso, a law student at the University of Illinois. “He was intense, demanding and disciplined.

“He put together great talent at NIU. He could take a mediocre talent and turn them into top caliber material which allowed NIU to compete with any school.”

Kieso was right in many aspects. Ehrlich was tough and demanding. He expected a lot out of himself and everyone around him. He also had a tendency to speak his mind and march to a different beat.

“He (Ehrlich) never really got along with the administration,” Kieso said. “The past administration (prior to the Gerald O’Dell era) had also made mention of cutting the sport. It didn’t make things easy for him.”

One of the things that wasn’t easy for Ehrlich was recruiting. High schools in the state of Illinois caught wind of the possible elimination of the NIU gymnastics program. This in turn caused potential recruits to think twice about heading to DeKalb for a four-year stay.

Also, a decline in state high school gymnastics programs caused Ehrlich to search the outer limits for talent, including overseas. This led to coaching/player problems. The athletes coming into the program didn’t necessarily fit Ehrlich’s mold, which is a tough mold to fit.

“I was a hard worker. I fit the system,” Kieso said. “If you work under (Ehrlich), you’ve got to put out. The players have to fit the system.”

By the sound in Kieso’s voice, I could sense his sincerity about NIU. But there was a hesitation that led me to believe he was a little upset. He was.

“I’m disappointed with what’s going on there,” he said. Well Doug, in a couple of months there will be nothing going on—no pommel horse, no parallel bars, no still rings and no floor exercise. Come next fall, odds have it the men’s gymnastics program will be just a memory.

A cherished memory to guys like Doug Kieso who rose to the top here at NIU. Kieso, and many others like him, can only chase the past in their minds. Many names made the NIU record books in gymnastics, but the final period is about to be typed.

As the mats and other equipment are stashed away come spring, NIU makes room for bats and balls—a popular choice by the majority. But not Kieso and other gymnastic alumni who dig into their pockets annually and give to a program they helped build.