Dan Coonan Named ECAC President/CEO
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Meghan O'Brien
Director of Marketing & Communications
mobrien@ecac.org
203-745-2890
DANBURY, Conn. {Jan. 11, 2017} -
Dan Coonan has been named Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) President & CEO as announced by the ECAC Board of Directors today.
"The Board conducted a national search, with the help of Andy Fellingham and Inter-Collegiate Athletics Consulting, to build a strong and diverse candidate pool for the position. We are confident Dan Coonan is the right person to lead the Conference into the future," said Chairman of the Board and Southern Connecticut State University Director of Athletics Jay Moran. "Dan has a strong background in fundraising and cultivating relationships which is what the ECAC needs right now. His demonstrated management skills and strong work ethic will enable him to advance the ECAC's mission, enhance the public perception of the organization and strengthen the value of membership benefits."
Coonan brings over 20 years of senior administrative experience in intercollegiate athletics to this role, including 11 years as director of athletics at Santa Clara University overseeing 19 NCAA Division I programs. Under his leadership, the Broncos thrived with five programs finishing among the top 15 in the nation. Beyond the successes on the fields of play, he established a formal leadership training program for Bronco student-athletes and co-founded Santa Clara's Institute of Sports Law and Ethics.
Prior to Santa Clara, Coonan spent six years in senior administrative roles at the University of California at Berkeley, which included oversight of Cal football during the biggest turnaround in the program's history. He also held a senior role at the Pac-10 conference. He practiced law in Los Angeles for seven years, managed a congressional race and served as chairman of the board of the Bay Area's largest homeless shelter network. Most recently, Coonan served as Executive Director of Development for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, overseeing all fundraising for the Archdiocese.
Just the ninth President/CEO in conference history, Coonan will provide leadership and direction to the organization while supervising, planning and implementing new programs that best fit the model of the conference and its constituents.
"I am thrilled and honored to be chosen to lead the ECAC going forward," said Coonan. "The ECAC has such an impressive history and enormous potential. I want to acknowledge all the efforts of the ECAC staff over the course of the past nine months, particularly Interim Commissioner/CFO
John Rollins and Director of Marketing & Communications
Meghan O'Brien. I look forward to working with the entire ECAC team and board of directors to strengthen the ECAC and create new, compelling ways to add value for our membership."
Coonan will be in attendance with ECAC senior staff at the NCAA Convention in Nashville, Tennessee Jan. 18-20. The ECAC will host a members-only reception at the Opry Backstage Grill at The Inn at Opryland on Thursday, Jan. 19 at 7:00 p.m. at which Coonan will be available to meet with representatives from ECAC institutions. Members who have not received an invitation may contact Meghan O'Brien at
mobrien@ecac.org.
Coonan earned his bachelor's degree in business administration from Notre Dame in 1984, then obtained a law degree from Loyola Law School in 1987. Coonan and his wife, Donna, have three children, Claire, Tommy and Kevin.
ABOUT THE ECAC
In the 77 years since its inception, the ECAC has emerged as the nation's largest Conference, ranging in location from Maine to Georgia, and westerly to Missouri. In 2015-16, the ECAC hosted nearly 100 championships in men's and women's sports as the sponsors of over 5,800 varsity teams and 111,000 student-athletes. For more information, visit www.ecacsports.com.
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