Marshall University Athletics
Ron & Susan DeTemple Men’s Basketball Operations Center Announced
8/28/2026 4:38:00 PM | Men's Basketball
New men’s basketball offices near Scaggs Family Practice Facility will boast DeTemple family name
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – For nearly six decades, Marshall Athletics events were woven deeply into the family fabric of Ron and Susan DeTemple.
After all, Marshall is what brought the couple together.
Ron, a Wheeling, W.Va. native, came to Huntington for college in 1962 and Susan – a Pittsburgh native – came to Marshall as the Valedictorian from her high school to attend Marshall in 1965.
Their first date – even though innocent and accidental, by design – was a Marshall Football game and the two were nearly inseparable for the next 60 years.
That influence trickled down to their daughters Jill and Karen, who consider Marshall Athletics as family, too.
"They refer to 'Marshall' as their brother," Ron said, speaking of the family's affinity for Marshall Athletics. "That's how they see it. They have enjoyed Marshall Athletics, too."
Six decades of Marshall Memories have been a great source of happiness throughout their lives together. When Susan passed away in March, Ron wanted to do something to honor their family's sense of giving while honoring his love for Susan and their shared passion for Marshall Athletics.
That perfect opportunity has now materialized with Friday's announcement of the construction of the Ron & Susan DeTemple Basketball Operations Center.
"It's very, very special and it's fitting because we met and got married at Marshall, both got degrees at Marshall and we've been big supporters of Marshall and the athletic department," Ron DeTemple said. "With Susan's passing, we talked about doing something more substantial for Marshall. That's the reason I chose to do this project. This is going to be very significant for the Marshall Basketball program, and this is one of the things that Susan and I really loved."
The Ron & Susan DeTemple Men's Basketball Operations Center will be located adjacent to Scaggs Family Practice Facility in Gullickson Hall, marking a new home and a new beginning for Marshall Men's Basketball.
The location of the Ron & Susan DeTemple Men's Basketball Operations Center is also a full circle moment for Ron, as he lived in Gullickson Hall – directly above the soon-to-be renovated space – while working for the athletic department over two semesters.
"During my sophomore year at Marshall, I lived in Gullickson Hall," DeTemple recalled. "There was a room up over top of where the offices were. That room had 20 bunk beds in it, and it was usually used for visiting teams to stay in the room when they played here. Me and another guy, we had a corner of that room and had our blankets and everything in there on the bunk beds. We had full run of Gullickson Hall, so after midnight on Friday or Saturday nights, we'd played basketball during the offseason with players like George Stone, Bob Redd and others. Where you go into that corner that will be Corny's office (in the future), that was the Athletic Director's office then. The offices will be right underneath where I spent two semesters living."
While the location brings back nostalgia and a flashback to the past for DeTemple, the new Ron & Susan DeTemple Men's Basketball Operations Center also springboards Marshall into the future with a renovation that will see a modernized look and technological advances that propel the program forward.
"Taking Care of the House has been a point of emphasis for Marshall Athletics, and Ron DeTemple's transformational gift will allow us to relocate and renovate the Men's Basketball operations area in Gullickson Hall," said Gerald J. Harrison, Marshall's Vice President and Director of Athletics. "Ron's generosity, along with recent gifts from fellow Big Green Scholarship Foundation members Kim Lawrence and Steve New, serves as a powerful reminder of the extraordinary support our coaches and student-athletes receive when Herd Nation rallies to the call. Thanks to Ron, it is another great day to run with The Herd for Coach Jackson and our Marshall Basketball program!"
Jackson thanked DeTemple for his loyalty and support to the Marshall Men's Basketball program – support that dates back to when Jackson was a player for the Herd and has continued into his coaching tenure.
"This generous gift from Ron and his late wife Susan is more than an investment in new office space; it's an investment in the future of Marshall Basketball," Jackson said. "We are incredibly grateful for a donor whose commitment and belief in our program continue to provide the resources needed to build a first-class environment for our student-athletes and staff."
This substantial six-figure gift is the latest in a lifetime full of philanthropic giving from the DeTemple family, who also started the Ron and Susan DeTemple Endowed Scholarship many years ago and have been faithful supporters of the Big Green Scholarship Foundation since the 1970s.
"Ron and his late wife Susan have been major donors and good friends of the Big Green Scholarship Foundation for a really long time," said Teddy Kluemper III, Executive Director of the Big Green Scholarship Foundation and Senior Associate Director of Athletics for Championship Resources. "It was a humbling experience to help facilitate a fitting tribute to Susan and the new home for Marshall's Men's Basketball staff. Their generosity will allow us to take our Men's Basketball program to the next level."
DeTemple is the President of R.D. Properties and R.D. Developers, a highly-successful development and property management company that serves the greater Huntington area and has aided in the transition of new head coaches and assistant coaches for many years with the Thundering Herd. Those properties include Garden Park Apartments and the Laurel Woods subdivision.
He is also a founding member of the Barboursville Rotary Club, which was established in 1980 and observes a motto that he holds close to him in daily life.
"Service Above Self," DeTemple said. "That example defined in Rotary is what we've tried to do as a family and probably encourages us to do what we're doing today for the basketball program."
In addition to the Rotary motto, DeTemple cited an E-mail that was sent by Marshall this week that asked a powerful question – one he forwarded to his daughters and sons-in-law.
"The first line of this E-mail read, 'Where can I make the greatest difference now?' DeTemple cited. "Think about that. That's a powerful statement! That's why we are having this conversation today and that's what I asked them."
Those wishing to also ask that same question can contact the Big Green Scholarship Foundation at (304) 696-4661.
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