Joseph Delich, Ph.D.
Adjunct faculty
E-mail: jrdelich@vcu.edu
In spring 2008, Joseph Delich, Ph.D., joined VCU as an adjunct professor after two years teaching in Barry University’s sport management program in St. Petersburg, Fla.
A native of Eveleth, Minn., graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy and member of the Air Force Hockey “Wall of Fame,” Delich was recently named the new chief operating officer of Serving the American Rinks. STAR is a membership organization established by USA Hockey and U.S. Figure Skating to provide education, training and certification programs for ice rink owners and operators.
Delich came to STAR after a 20-year career in the Air Force, where he held numerous management and leadership roles. During that tenure, he also coached hockey at the Air Force Academy and Colorado College, scouted for the Sioux Falls Stampede of the U.S. Junior Hockey League and worked in the NCAA Division I league office of College Hockey America.
Delich earned his M.B.A. from the University of Nebraska, Lincoln in 1992 and his Ph.D. in Sports Management — along with a Doctoral Minor in Applied Statistics and Research Methods — from the University of Northern Colorado in 2004. He now resides in Colorado Springs with his wife Lisa and daughter Merrill.
