Media Contact: Susan Cipollaro, scipollaro@fairfield.edu , 203-254-4000, ext. 2726

FAIRFIELD, Conn. (July 6, 2017) — Fairfield University has engaged Korn Ferry, the world’s largest executive search firm, to lead the search for the University’s next Director of Athletics.

“When you combine Korn Ferry’s expertise with Fairfield’s legacy and trajectory, we are well positioned to attract a dynamic leader for athletics,” said Mark R. Nemec, PhD, President of Fairfield University. “Our core values, commitment to forming men and women for others, exceptional faculty and innovative programs mean we are looking for a leader to help elevate athletics as the whole of the institution continues its rise."

Rated America’s best executive recruiting firm by Forbes , Korn Ferry will assist an internal search committee comprised of President Nemec, senior administration, faculty, alumni, and Board of Trustees members. The firm has previously provided its expertise in the searches for athletic administrators and head coaches at institutions including Marquette University and the Universities of Illinois, Missouri, and Florida.

“Korn Ferry is honored to partner with the Fairfield University community in the search for its next Director of Athletics,” said Liz Boardman, senior client partner in Korn Ferry's Global Sports Practice. “It is a truly exciting time for the University.”

Fairfield University combines a world-renowned academic curriculum with an NCAA Division I athletic program. In the 2017 U.S. News and World Report ranking s, Fairfield University was ranked #2 in Regional Universities in the North, among institutions that offer a full range of undergraduate majors and master’s programs. In their latest rankings, USA Today and College Factual placed Fairfield among the best 10% of schools in the country and highlighted several of Fairfield’s academic programs among the top 5% in the nation.

Fairfield sponsors 20 varsity athletic programs and more than 450 student-athletes. A charter member of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC), the University has won 52 MAAC Tournament Championships and 63 MAAC Regular Season Championships, culminating in 39 NCAA postseason appearances.

Academically, 321 Fairfield student-athletes earned a grade-point average of 3.0 or better in the spring of 2017, including 169 Dean’s List students with 30 Stags earning a perfect 4.0 GPA. The latest NCAA reports rank Fairfield atop the MAAC with 96% graduation rate, including 13 programs with a 100% graduation rate and six teams earning NCAA Public Recognition Awards.

The seventh Director of Athletics at Fairfield University will succeed Gene Doris, who recently announced that he will pursue new ventures following a 23-year career with the Stags. Doris will remain as Director of Athletics in the interim and will serve as an advisor to his successor through 2017.

Posted On: 07-06-2017 11:07 AM

Volume: 49 Number: 181

Fairfield University is a Jesuit University, rooted in one of the world’s oldest intellectual and spiritual traditions. More than 5,000 undergraduate and graduate students from 36 states, 47 foreign countries, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico are enrolled in the University’s five schools.  In the spirit of rigorous and sympathetic inquiry into all dimensions of human experience, Fairfield welcomes students from diverse backgrounds to share ideas and engage in open conversations. The University is located in the heart of a region where the future takes shape, on a stunning campus on the Connecticut coast just an hour from New York City.