(L to R) Mike Kinnison ’77, Director of DSU Athletics, Dr. Butch Caston ’66, Dean Emeritus of the College of Education and Professor Emeritus of Education, Tom Janoush ’90, Past President of the DSU Foundation.By Tom Janoush
CLEVELAND, Miss. — Delta State University is proud to announce the establishment of the Dr. Butch Caston Endowed Athletic Scholarship, generously created by Joe and Tom Janoush. The scholarship is a testament to Caston’s profound impact on Delta State during his time as a student-athlete and as a faculty member, Dean of Education, and most recently as Interim President of the University. The Dr. Butch Caston Endowed Athletic Scholarship is designed to provide financial assistance to student-athletes to allow them to excel in their athletic and academic pursuits.
Caston is a native of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He originally came to Delta State in 1962 to play football for Coach Horace McCool. Upon graduation from Delta State, Caston served as an assistant football coach at Cleveland High School while pursuing his Master of Education degree. Joe Janoush played for Caston during this time and still affectionately addresses him as “coach.”
Caston earned his Doctor of Education degree from Southern Mississippi in 1974 and began his career serving students in various public-school districts and university settings throughout Mississippi. He returned to his beloved alma mater in 1983 to serve as a member of the faculty in the School of Education. Caston ultimately served as the Dean of the School of Education for 15 years until his retirement in 2004. In 2022, the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning coaxed Caston out of retirement to serve as the interim president of Delta State. He guided the university during the transition until the board ultimately chose Dr. Daniel J. Ennis to take the reins.
Reflecting on the scholarship, Caston said, “As a student-athlete, I recognize the absolute need for financial support for athletics. Most people probably do not realize that very few student-athletes are on full scholarship. The reality is that scholarships may only cover one-half of the financial costs of a college education. This means that the student-athlete is forced to find other avenues to pay for school. Often times, this may lead to those individuals having to work to make ends meet. Unfortunately, this can create additional hardships for athletes in trying to balance work time with academics and athletics. At the end of the day, the student-athletes are here for an education. This scholarship will allow these students to focus on their chosen sport but more importantly, focus on their education. The establishment of an athletic scholarship to assist talented and exceptional students wishing to come to Delta State University will hopefully encourage the best and the brightest to be a part of our university. I am honored and grateful to have my name associated with this scholarship.”
For more information about the DSU Foundation, visit www.deltastategiving.org, email foundation@deltastate.edu or by phone at 662-846-4704. For more information about Delta State Athletics, visit gostatesmen.com.
