May 9, 2011

By Samantha Franz
Athletic Communications contributor

For Scott Bittinger (1984-88) , it wasn't about becoming Oakland University's first-ever All-American in men's basketball, nor having his No. 5 forever immortalized in the rafters of the O'rena. And while the numbers in the record books and his enshrinement in the Hall of Honor may be impressive, what Bittinger values more than all of his athletic accolades are the life lessons he acquired during his time donning the black and gold under a new head coach by the name of Greg Kampe.

"I think that the experience at Oakland, especially playing sports, was a confidence boost," said Bittinger. "With Coach Kampe, a lot of these players went in boys and came out men. Being an athlete helps you in the work environment by giving you the ability to juggle and have the skills Kampe brought home to us. Sports can do that in general, especially if you have a good leader."

In fact, in addition to the proximity of Oakland's campus to his hometown of Toledo, Ohio, Bittinger chose OU because of his familiarity with Kampe, established when he attended basketball camps as a high schooler at the University of Toledo, where Kampe was an assistant coach. In Kampe's first two years as a head coach at OU, the Pioneers finished with back-to-back 13-15 records in 1984-85 and 1985-86 before skyrocketing to consecutive winning campaigns, including Oakland's first-ever 20-win season in 1986-87.

"We started the journey with Kampe in his first years as a head coach and he did a phenomenal job with us," Bittinger said. "He really turned the program around and we had winning seasons my last two years, so the turnaround was gosh darn quick. We went from not very good to actually a really good team. He started bringing in players and that, along with his coaching ability, really impacted the program."

Of course, Bittinger certainly had something to do with the team's success. His name is splashed all over the record books, including field goals made, free throws made and total points, as well as the GLIAC record for points in a season. He is also a member of Oakland's elite 1,000-point club with a seventh-best 1,806 points.

After helping get Oakland on track for consistent future success, Bittinger graduated in 1988 with a degree in accounting and not too long after, married his college sweetheart Andrea, who was also a cheerleader. He then focused on his career in the automotive industry, moving all the way up to his current position as a division finance director for American Axel.

Bittinger also has three children, a son Jacob (17) and two daughters, Hayley (14) and Ashley (12), whom he coaches in their wide plethora of sports. Oddly, the one sport Bittinger has not mentored his children in much is basketball.

"They all play soccer, my daughters also played volleyball and my son swam," he said. "For a while there, my son played basketball and I coached him and I did it for both my girls, but once they hit fifth and sixth grade, it didn't interest them anymore and they moved on to other stuff. I still coach my girls in softball and I did the same for my son in baseball. I really enjoy coaching and it's funny that the one sport I know the best and contribute the most is the one they aren't really interested in!"

Bittinger has always been a staple at Oakland home basketball games since his graduation, but always put his family first. Now that his children are getting older, with one college-bound and another ready to start high school, Bittinger is taking on a larger role in giving back to his alma mater.

"I have done some of the networking and mentoring programs offered at the business school and I'd like to get more involved with the athletics department," he said. "I have attended Hall of Honor banquets, as well as watching other sports, like volleyball and soccer games. It's great too that Greg Kampe and Tracy Huth are still there, since they were both coaching there when I played. There are great people that work at Oakland and it's great to be a part of that."

Overall, Bittinger truly appreciates his time as a Pioneer and hopes that future Golden Grizzlies will do the same.

"I look back now that I have been gone for 25 years and it is such an amazing opportunity that student-athletes have," he said. "When you're caught in the moment, you don't quite appreciate the opportunity that you have. Most of them are getting their school paid for and they get to do what they love and they can't beat that. I am praying one of my kids will have that opportunity! They should enjoy it, embrace it and make the most of it. The things you learn will translate into valuable life skills after graduation."

And those life lessons definitely made an impact on Bittinger and, subsequently, he has carried those on to his children.

"I try to teach those skills to my kids, both as their father and coach in the sports they play," he said. "The discipline, the work ethic and everything else that comes with being an athlete. The greatest thing that came out of being an athlete was learning those values I could take to life."

-OAKLAND-