Dr. Joe Kulaga,
known only as "Papa Joe" by the men's basketball team, enters his sixth year as
the team chaplain. A servant leader, Papa invests many hours into the lives of
the players, sharing from his remarkable brings a wealth of wisdom and
knowledge from a long career as an educator and Free Methodist pastor.
His credentials come from Taylor
University (B.S. in Elementary Education), University of Michigan (M.A., Spec.
in ED., Ph.D. in Educational Administration), plus Nyack College (Dipl. in
Bible & Theology). His career, spanning over 50 years, includes a long
tenure in public education, pastorate, and finally, associate
professor/administrator at SAU.
Dr. Kulaga is married to his special
friend, Carole (50+ years), has three sons (Mark, Jon, Matthew), eleven
grandchildren, & three great grandchildren. His current "hobby/ministry" is
leading a Bible study, teaching Sunday School and sharing with the finest group
of young men that has ever been his privilege.
"Papa Joe has had a profound
impact on our players and coaches. He has invested a tremendous amount of time
and energy into all of us," noted head coach Ryan Cottingham. "Papa has helped
created a wonderful spiritual climate within our team. We are so blessed to
have him as a member of our program and I feel very fortunate to have him as a
personal friend and mentor."
