Thomas Walter Jernstedt (November 24, 1944 – September 6, 2020) was an American basketball administrator, working for theNCAA from 1972 until 2010.[1] He was enshrined into theNational Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame as a contributor in 2010 and theNaismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2017. Jernstedt died inTequesta, Florida.[2]
Jernstedt was born inMcMinnville, Oregon, and raised inCarlton, Oregon, and was a three-sport athlete atYamhill Carlton High School.[3] He received hisBachelor of Science andMaster of Science degrees from theUniversity of Oregon in 1967 and 1973, respectively. He was a football student-athlete while at Oregon, playing quarterback from 1964 to 1966 before injuries derailed his career.[4] He was named senior class president in 1966.[5] After graduation, Jernstedt spent two years in private business and then joined the athletic department at his alma mater, where he served in administrative positions between 1969 and 1972.[6]
The NCAA hired Jernstedt in 1972 as a director of events. He is credited with guiding theNCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship to what it is today. Jernstedt oversaw his first Final Four in March 1973. He was promoted to assistant executive director in 1974. He held a number of senior-level management positions over the next 29 years, culminating in his appointment in 2003 as executive vice president. Jernstedt's duties included everything from managing events and overseeing branding to negotiating TV and corporate-sponsorship contracts. Jernstedt was let go after new NCAA President Mark Emmert took over in 2011.[3]
In 2013, Jernstedt was selected to be a member of the first-everCollege Football Playoff selection committee[7]
Jernstedt first became associated withUSA Basketball in 1975, serving as a member of its council. Jernstedt was vice president for men from 1976 to 1980 and served another stint as vice president for men from 1992 to 1996. He was USA Basketball's vice president from 1997 to 2000 and was the organization's president from 2001 to 2004.[8] Under Jernstedt's tenure, themen's basketball team had disappointing results with a sixth-place finish in the 2002 FIBA World Championship and a bronze finish at the2004 Olympics, leading to changes in how the team was selected.[9]
A statue of basketball legend, Tom Jernstedt, will be unveiled at a ceremony Friday, April 21 in downtown Indianapolis, according to a press release from Pacers, Sports and Entertainment. (...) Jernstedt was also inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2017.