Much-beloved Ross School of Business academic advisor Robert Koonce dies suddenly

By Mallory Beberman
Daily Staff Reporter  On  November 2nd, 2009

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Robert Koonce, the gregarious director of BBA Student Affairs whose wisdom, sense of humor and distinct brand of “tough love” allowed him to forge deep connections with students and educators throughout campus and in neighboring communities, died suddenly Sunday morning.

Koonce was 45 years old and is survived by his wife, Angela, and both of his parents.

He was not admitted to the University Hospital and the cause of his death remains undisclosed. However, at his weekly press conference yesterday, Michigan head football coach Rich Rodriguez, who had known Koonce since both men worked at Tulane University, said Koonce died of a heart attack.

Students and faculty who knew Koonce describe him as someone who had a great sense of humor and cared deeply about improving student affairs.

BBA Program Faculty Director Scott Moore said Koonce was always “talking to students, talking to staff and faculty around the University, trying to figure out what’s going good and what’s going bad about students and bringing back ideas to me about making things better.”

“He just kept thinking about students, kept looking for the next opportunity to bond with students,” added Moore, who described Koonce as a close friend. “That was his life.”

Katherine McCartney, an academic advisor who worked closely with Koonce, said he had a particularly special relationship with the University because it was not only his workplace, but his alma mater.

Koonce received his Master of Arts degree in higher education administration at the University in 1990 and was working towards his Ph.D., but didn't complete his dissertation. He returned to the University of Michigan in November 2004 after working at a variety of colleges including Union College, the University of Maryland, Tulane University and the University of Pennsylvania.

During his time at Tulane, Koonce, who at the time was the football team’s academic counselor, got to know then-assistant coach Rich Rodriguez.

At his weekly press conference yesterday, Rodriguez discussed the passing of his good friend.

In response to a question about the football team needing one more win to become eligible for a bowl game, Rodriguez brought up Koonce’s sudden passing.

“It's not life-or-death,” Rodriguez said of getting that sixth win. “It's a ballgame and it's an important ballgame, and as important as it is to everybody out there, I promise you, it's more important to the program and the guys in the program than anybody. It's still just a game.

“I think things come to life when … we get the news yesterday that we lost a dear friend, Rob Koonce,” he continued.

Rodriguez discussed how he got to know Koonce at Tulane and how Koonce has helped with recruitment efforts since Rodriguez has arrived in Ann Arbor.

“He was my age, a little younger, and it's tragic for his family,” Rodriguez said. “Certainly all the guys on our team, a lot of them knew him. Our staff all knew Rob, and our thoughts and prayers are with him and his family.”

“But that put things in light. We're playing a game."

Koonce will be remembered as an integral part of the Ross School of Business — someone who went far above his role as an advisor, helping to facilitate a connection between the University’s business community and the larger community as a whole.

Dean of Business Bob Dolan said Robert Koonce “was a real community-builder.”

“I think every day he was always trying to do things to help members of the community, whether he had a formal responsibility to do so or not,” Dolan said.

Ryen Speed, a student in the Master of Accounting program who got to know Koonce well, said in an e-mail that Koonce appreciated everything Michigan, from athletics to Greek Life and every organization in between.

“He always knew who was involved in which organizations,” he said in the e-mail.

In the spring of 2006, Koonce launched a high school outreach program called MREACH to forge a relationship between the Ross School of Business and local high schools in Detroit and Ypsilanti.

Eddie Hall, a student in the Master of Accounting program and an MREACH program coordinator, said Koonce “had a phenomenal impact on both high school students and college students.”

Koonce was also an instrumental part of the Preparation Initiative, a program that offers counseling and tutoring in economics, math and accounting to University students interested in applying to Ross at the end of their freshman year.

“We will all do our best to carry on the great programs that he started for us and we will miss his leadership,” Dolan said.

In addition to creating essential programs for Ross, Koonce was known as a vital resource for students seeking advice.

McCartney said she received countless e-mails from alumni and current students who had heard of his death that expressed how important Koonce was to them.

“He had a passion for working with students, not just in the academic realm, but influencing and shaping their entire lives to become better human beings,” she said.

Hall said Koonce was not just an advisor to him, but a friend as well.

“He was the kind of person who if you had anything going on, you could just walk into his office and sit down with him and he would do whatever was in his power to help,” Hall said. “He has always wanted and encouraged his students to be the best they can be. He was hard on us, but it was a tough love kind of thing.”

Evette Hollins, a University alum, worked closely with Koonce during her freshman year when she was in the process of applying to the Business School.

Hollins said Koonce was an especially caring ally for minority students in the Business School.

“He understood that we were under-represented and he did everything in his power to help us excel,” she said in an e-mail.

“I will continue to work hard for what I want in life and hopefully one day I can make as big of a difference in someone else’s life as Mr. Koonce has in mine,” she said.

Speed emphasized Koonce’s unparalleled ability to be a positive force in students’ lives.

“Rob was like a dad. The type of dad who didn't accept nonsense, didn't want to hear a bunch of excuses, and accepted nothing less than your absolute best. He pushed us (students) but most importantly he always believed in us,” Speed said.

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