When Johnny Majors left Pittsburgh in 1977 to become head football coach at Tennessee, he brought Tim Kerin with him as part of his first Vol staff. Kerin served as head trainer for 15 years until his sudden death from an aortic aneurysm in August 1992.

Kerin first became associated with Majors in 1973 when Majors was hired as Pitt head coach and Tim was an assistant on the Panthers training staff. In 1973 Kerin moved up to the position of head trainer.

Tim's employment encompassed a lot of territory, including coordinating Tennessee team travel arrangements. Kerin's top priority, of course, was the health and safety of the literally hundreds of Vol athletes who looked to him for their training requirements.

After graduating from Westinghouse Memorial High School in Wilmerding, Pa., Kerin attended Indiana University of Pennsylvania. He earned an undergraduate degree in 1969 and added a masters in 1972. He broke into the training field in 1969 at Penn Hills High School in Pittsburgh.

When Tennessee built the Neyland-Thompson Sports Center, Kerin designed the training facility for the ground up to specifically address the needs of Volunteer student-athletes. The state-of-the-art training room was officially dedicated "The Tim Kerin Training Room" in his honor and memory on Nov. 26, 1993.

In June of 1993, Kerin was inducted into the National Athletic Trainers Association Hall of Fame for his outstanding career in the field. The Hall of Fame honors those athletic trainers whose leadership and dedication personify the highest ideals of athletic training.

In honor of Kerin, the University of Tennessee Campus Ministries' Council and the Athletic Department sponsor a special food collection at one of the home football games. The drive is targeted towards providing emergency food baskets for needy families during the holidays.

The Tennessee Athletic Trainers Society selected Kerin the Gene Smith/Mickey O'Brien College Athletic Trainer of the Year in January 1993.

Kerin, a past president of the Pennsylvania Athletic Trainers Association, was given the Award of Merit from the Southeastern Conference Athletic Trainers' Association. He has received community and campus recognition awards for his work in drug education programs, serving as president of the Metropolitan Drug Commission of Knoxville.

His peers honored him in 1991 with they bestowed on him the Award of Merit from the Southeastern Athletic Trainers Association.

During the summer, Kerin conducted camps for burgeoning trainers on the campus at the University of Tennessee.

PERSONAL DATA

Born: Nov. 6, 1947 in Pittsburgh, Pa.

Deceased: Aug. 3, 1992 in Knoxville, Tenn.

High School Education: Westinghouse Memorial High School, Wilmerding, Pa.

College Education: Indiana University (Pa.) 1969; Masters, Indiana University (Pa.) 1972; Masters, University of Pittsburgh 1976

Career Background: Penn Hills High School, Pittsburgh, Pa., 1969-72; Pittsburgh, 1972-76; Tennessee, 1977-92.

Widow: Kathleen (Zibbie) Brennan Kerin

Children: Beth, Susan, Twins - Bo and Amy, Barbara, Tara