Paul Lueken served as Slippery Rock University’s Director of Athletics from 1994-2021. While at SRU, he restructured SRU’s NCAA compliance procedures and made major improvements in academic support services for student-athletes. When Lueken took over in the fall of 1994, Slippery Rock’s student-athletes combined GPA averaged 2.614. Over the course of his SRU career, that average rose nearly a full point, to a 3.532 cumulative GPA in the spring of 2020.
While Lueken was Athletic Director, The Rock won 39 PSAC championships and had 11 students win national titles. Slippery Rock University also won the Dixon Trophy during his tenure. He coordinated the upgrade of SRU’s athletic facilities, and was directly involved with renovations to Morrow Field House, the construction of Jack Critchfield Park, and with the evolution of the SRU mascot Rocky, the Pride of the Rock.
Lueken was inducted into the SRU Athletic Hall of Fame in 2022 and named Butler County Tourism and Convention Bureau Ambassador of the year. In retirement, he serves as a member of the Slippery Rock Borough Council and spends time with his grandchildren.
Interview: March 28, 2025Interview Transcript |
Full Audio |