Mercy College Names McGinniss New Director of Intercollegiate Athletics and Recreation
October 11, 2005
MERCY COLLEGE NAMES McGINNISS NEW DIRECTOR OF
INTERCOLLEIGATE ATHLETICS AND RECREATION
DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. - Mercy College announced today
the appointment of Dr. Kevin T. McGinniss as its new Director of
Intercollegiate Athletics and Recreation.
The college selected its new director after a lengthy search and
McGinniss brings an impressive pedigree to the position. He owns a
strong educational and professional background which includes over
25 years of varied experience as an educator, author, coach,
athletics administrator and athlete. McGinniss becomes just the
second director in the program's history succeeding Neil Judge who
recently retired after 34 years at the helm.
"Mercy College sought an experienced and visionary athletic
director to succeed Neil Judge and I was extremely pleased the
College was able to recruit someone of Kevin's qualifications"
stated Mercy's President, Louise Feroe.
McGinniss comes to Mercy College from Quinnipiac University where
he served since 2001 as its director of athletic development. At
Quinnipiac he was responsible for implementing special events and
coordinating all fundraising in support of their NCAA Division I
athletics program. This included coordinating a comprehensive
annual giving program for athletics targeting former
student-athletes, parents of current student-athletes and friends
of the university. He was also responsible for the planning and
implementation of their athletics corporate partners program along
with the cultivation and solicitation of major gifts. In addition,
he coordinated efforts of the volunteer members of the athletics
advisory board and established a support group for athletics - the
Quinnipiac University Bobcat Club. "The Team That Supports the
Teams" sponsored an athletics travel program, hosted special events
and published a seasonal newsletter, The Bobcat Briefing. At
Quinnipiac McGinniss focused most of his efforts on a key component
of the University's New Millennium Campaign, $25 million for a
state of the art athletic center and was instrumental in securing
the campaign's $5 million lead gift/naming rights agreement.
"I am extremely honored to have been chosen as the new director of
athletics at Mercy College and look forward to the challenge of
elevating the intercollegiate athletics and recreation program to
another level. I am very impressed by the enthusiastic support that
I have seen and felt from President Feroe and the college's
executive staff. I look at this as an exciting opportunity to build
something special for Mercy College and the entire Mercy College
Community." Mercy College currently sponsors fifteen NCAA Division
II sports for men and women and holds membership in the New York
Collegiate Athletic Conference (NYCAC) and the Eastern College
Athletic Conference (ECAC).
The Mercy College administration has declared a renewed commitment
to its athletics and recreation program affirmed through the
recommendations of a comprehensive study completed last fiscal year
by the college's athletics task force. McGinniss will work with the
Department of Student Activities and Residential Life to enhance
and promote the intercollegiate athletics and recreation program
within the college and work closely with the Department of
Institutional Advancement to further the college and its athletics
program amongst the community at large. "Kevin is a perfect fit for
Mercy College," said Mary Pat Wagner, vice president for
Institutional Advancement," adding "his talent, experience and
vision will go along way to help improve and solidify our athletics
and recreation program."
McGinniss' experience in higher education includes serving Southern
Connecticut State University as its director of athletic
development, assistant men's basketball coach and adjunct professor
of sport management. He has also served as director of athletics,
men's basketball coach and adjunct professor at Lehman College, The
City University of New York. In addition, from 1997-2000 McGinniss
was the director of athletic development and executive director of
the Blue & Gray Club at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, Kings
Point, NY. He spent one season working in the front office of a
professional basketball franchise, the former Westchester Golden
Apples of the United States Basketball League.
An associate of Sports for Life, Inc. and member of the Parents for
Good Sports team, McGinniss is also a member of the National
Faculty of the United States Sports Academy, Daphne, Alabama. He
has served on the Council for Advancement and Support of Education
(CASE) District I Board of Directors and holds membership in the
National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics; National
Association of Athletic Development Directors and the National
Association of Collegiate Marketing Administrators while serving on
the ECAC Marketing Committee and the National Association of
Basketball Coaches Research Committee.
An authority on sport and physical education pedagogy and sport
administration, the focus of McGinniss' scholarly research has been
in the area of sport management and athletics administration. He
has authored numerous articles including "Cultivation &
Stewardship - Key to Obtaining Enduring Support for Your Program"
CoachStreet.com, April 2000; "Administrative Support: Key to the
Success and Survival of the High School Athletics Director" Sport
Supplement, spring 1999; and "Fun on the Fairway - Golf outings are
a staple of fund-raising. But are you getting the most out of
yours? Athletic Management, June/July 2002.
He also holds a B.S. degree in health education, an M.S. degree in
physical education/athletics administration and a sixth year
professional diploma in educational leadership all from Southern
Connecticut State University. He earned his doctorate in education
from Columbia University.
McGinniss and his wife, Amy, reside in Brookfield (CT) and have two
children, son Kyle (9), and daughter Kelly (6).
