Admittedly, Dick Falls has never had to look far for a job. But that will change soon, when the Ball State deputy director of athletics leaves Muncie for Tampa, Florida, where his wife, Linda, will be relocating for her work with a pharmaceutical company.
His wife will begin working in Tampa in May, but Falls plans on staying through this spring sports season. Their daughter, Ashley is an eighth grader at Burris Elementary.
"I have the option of retiring from the university," Falls said, "and that is the option I will be taking some time in the summer.
"We had to make some tough decisions on how we feel our family needs to be together. I feel like your first priority is your family, and you have to keep that in mind."
Although he is retiring from the university, Falls still hopes to find work in the Tampa area.
"I don't feel like I'm to that position in my life (to stop working)," he said. "I would like to keep working, hopefully in intercollegiate athletics, because that's where I have a lot of years of experience. I might have to look in other directions initially and keep looking for a position in athletics."
A 1968 graduate of Burris High School, Falls moved on to Ball State and lettered on the golf team for three seasons. In 1972 he helped the Cardinals to a 14th-place finish at the NCAA Championships. For the next nine years he was a teacher and coach at Burris, also acting as athletic director for the last three of those years.
Starting in 1982, Falls worked in administration for Ball State athletics, moving up to his current position, where he is second-in-command to Bubba Cunningham.
Looking back, Falls isn't too surprised he has stayed in Muncie his whole life so far.
"I like the area and the community," he said. "I think it's a good place to raise a family.
"I didn't feel that big about moving away. I felt very comfortable here, and I still do. Our decision to move has nothing to do with my inability to get along with the people here. I feel like I've got one of the best jobs around. It's not that I felt the need to look in other directions. I feel good about what I have here now."
Falls said the best memories he will leave behind are the people he worked with.
"I've been fortunate to work with people I respect highly," he said. "All of the presidents have been good individuals and good for Ball State.
"I worked with a lot of people in athletics I enjoyed. When you work with people and help them succeed, that's something good. Those are some lasting friendships."
He also points to the success the athletics program had as another memory of his years.
"(Ball State) had joined the Mid-American Conference in 1975. I came in here in 1982. When you look at the mid to late `80s and into the `90s, we had a lot of success, whether it was the (football) bowl games or the (basketball) Sweet 16. Those were good times."
During his tenure at Ball State, Falls has administered football and, until this past season, men's basketball. Women's basketball and volleyball are among the other sports he has worked with.
Until 1995, men's and women's athletics were separate departments, and Falls says combining them was a needed change.
"Those departments were brought together in," he said. "I was fortunate to retained and help with that transition. A lot of energy was spent on making that a positive step, and I think we've had a lot of success."
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