Hobart and William Smith Colleges Associate Vice President and Director of Athletics and Recreation Brian Miller recently announced four promotions.
Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Performance Chris Gray will serve as the associate athletic director for sports performance and strategic initiatives. Hobart Lacrosse Director of Operations Sean Cunningham ’17 will be the assistant athletic director for scheduling and event management. Equipment Coordinator Kevin McDonald is now the assistant athletic director for equipment and operations. Assistant Athletic Trainer Mary Beth Schram was promoted to associate athletic trainer.
The promotions, coupled with the recent hiring of Associate Athletic Director/Senior Woman Administrator Liz Dennison, rounds out Miller’s administrative team.
“As the Athletics and Recreation staff ramp up efforts to add six varsity sports during the 2022-23 academic year, I’m thrilled that we have so much talent right here on our staff who will help make that happen,” says Miller. “Chris, Sean, Kevin and Mary Beth have proven themselves as wholly committed to ensuring that our student athletes and coaches have the tools they need to succeed, and they are laser focused on the department’s priorities in the coming seasons. We are extraordinarily lucky to have them.”
Gray joined the HWS campus community in 2018 as the John J. Hogan ’88 Strength & Conditioning Head Coach. His leadership and energy during the pandemic led to his promotion to assistant athletic director for sports performance during the summer of 2021. With the title change, he began oversight of sports medicine and assisted in the development of the Napier Leadership Seminar and the Peak Performance Plan. Gray’s most recent promotion adds long-term planning and sport oversight to his responsibilities.
A native of Geneva, Cunningham served as director of lacrosse operations for the Statesmen for four seasons. The 2017 Hobart graduate will now coordinate game and practice scheduling for the Colleges’ 23 varsity teams and their athletic facilities. He will also oversee game day operations for all home athletic events.
McDonald was hired as an HWS equipment coordinator in 2010 and worked for a decade with fellow equipment coordinator Bob Toner. Since the start of the 2020-21 academic year, McDonald has managed the needs of the Statesmen and Herons as HWS’ only full time equipment professional.
Schram joined the HWS sports medicine team in 2018. She has assisted with the athletic training needs for all Herons and Statesmen, providing steadfast care to student-athletes. Over the past two months, Schram and Coordinator of Sports Medicine Stephanie Habecker have provided tireless service to the Colleges as they search for two additional athletic trainers during a nationwide shortage of certified athletic trainers.
Hobart and William Smith will add six varsity sports during the 2022-23 academic year: Hobart and William Smith Alpine skiing, Hobart baseball, William Smith bowling, Hobart swimming and diving, and William Smith volleyball. The following year, Hobart volleyball will play its inaugural season. In 2024-25, Hobart and William Smith will begin competing in indoor and outdoor track and field. The five-year expansion plan, which was announced in August, will conclude with the addition of William Smith softball in 2025-26.
Once fully implemented, the Colleges will offer 35 varsity sports, 17 at Hobart and 18 at William Smith.
FingerLakes1.com is the region’s leading all-digital news publication. The company was founded in 1998 and has been keeping residents informed for more than two decades. Have a lead? Send it to [email protected].