Roy Kramer, a Maryville native who spent 12 years as Vanderbilt’s athletic director and 12 years as SEC commissioner, died Thursday at the age of 96, the conference announced.

Roy Kramer

A Maryville College graduate, Kramer was a standout lineman on the school’s football team and was a wrestler as well.

In 1974, Kramer was named NCAA National Coach of the Year after guiding the Central Michigan Chippewas to a 12-1 record and the Division II National Championship.

He became Vandy’s athletic director in 1978, helping revitalize the school’s athletic program by overseeing major facility upgrades, merging men’s and women’s athletic departments, and steering the Commodores into a more modern era of campus athletics.

Kramer served as SEC commissioner from 1990-2002, guiding a conference exp

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