MORRISVILLE, NY – Morrisville State director of athletics, Greg Carroll, has announced his retirement effective this October, after spending nearly two decades at the helm of the Mustang athletics program as its lead administrator.
A national search will be underway this summer, with the role anticipated to be filled by early this fall.
Carroll, who arrived at Morrisville in the fall of 2001, has provided leadership within the SUNY Morrisville campus community and at the conference and national levels across his career.
"I will be eternally grateful for the opportunity I was given 18 years ago to be the director of athletics at Morrisville State," Carroll said.
"Over the course of my career at Morrisville, I have been fortunate to work for and with some truly amazing administrators. With their support, I believe we've been able to build an NCAA athletics program that is a source of pride for our students, faculty, staff, alumni, and the larger Morrisville community."
With a foundation strongly rooted in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) upon his arrival at Morrisville, Carroll was instrumental in leading the charge forward to the four-year level and NCAA Division III affiliation within five years of his arrival. During that time, his leadership also led to eight NJCAA Region III championship titles and four national championship titles.
Carroll was able to successfully lead the Mustangs to NCAA Division III affiliation in a three-year time period – a process that typically consumes four years – thanks to his collective commitment to the institution and department. He increased the department's full-time staff, created an elective physical education program, obtained approval from the New York State Department of Education for a New York State Coaching Certification, obtained and maintained oversight of the college's intramural & open recreation program, and successfully launched the department's first development program.
"During Greg's 18-year tenure at Morrisville, we have benefitted tremendously from his vision and leadership helping to create an exemplary program for all of NCAA Division III athletics," said Dr. David Rogers, President of SUNY Morrisville.
During his tenure, Carroll has overseen more than $20 million in athletics facility improvements at Morrisville, including the 2004 renovation of the indoor field house at the college's Recreation Center, construction of the Athletics Stadium facility featuring Drake Field, and renovations to the athletic venues within the Student Activity Center.
Carroll also was instrumental in Morrisville's transition to full-time membership within the North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) in 2009. His guidance quickly propelled the Mustangs to the top of the conference ranks, as his teams have since gathered 18 regular season titles and 22 tournament championships.
Throughout his time, Carroll has placed an emphasis on academic achievement for all Mustang student-athletes, while also contributing back to the local and surrounding communities. The grade-point averages of Morrisville student-athletes' outpace those of the general student population at Morrisville, while student-athletes also take part in 25 community service initiatives annually that see, on average, 2,600 hours per year and more than $7,000 in donations to charitable organizations.
Because of these efforts, alongside its athletic prowess, Morrisville State has maintained a presence as one of the top three institutions conference-wide since the launch of the NEAC Presidents' Cup awards program four years ago. Following the 2015-16 academic year, Morrisville earned the prestigious NEAC Presidents' Cup, which is awarded to the top overall program across the conference in academics, community service, athletic success and sportsmanship. The Mustangs also have been a three-time recipient of the NEAC's Athletics Director Cup (highlighting athletic success) for men's sports, the Senior Woman Administrator Cup (highlighting community service) twice, and the Direct Reports' Cup (focusing on sportsmanship) most recently in 2018.
For the past four years, Morrisville State also has maintained its presence as the top NEAC institution in the Learfield Cup standings, a national program that honors institutions maintaining a broad-based program and achieving success in numerous men's and women's sports.
In all, the athletics program has garnered 30 regular season titles, 24 conference tournament titles, and 21 NCAA Division III postseason tournament appearances since Carroll's arrival to the Mustang Valley.
"The NEAC wishes Greg all the best in his retirement," NEAC Commissioner Candice Murray said.
"He has been an important member of conference leadership, serving as chair of the Board of Athletic Directors and serving on many conference committees, of which his time on the sportsmanship committee and strategic planning committee are of significant importance."
"He has always been a leader, role model, mentor, friend, colleague, and committed administrator. He will be missed and we wish him the best of luck on his next adventure!"
Carroll also has been involved in leadership governance roles at the conference and national levels throughout his tenure. He has twice served separate two-year stints as both chair and vice chair of the NEAC Board of Athletics, in addition to directing the NEAC Student-Athlete Well-Being Committee and serving as a representative on the NEAC's executive, strategic planning, awards and sportsmanship committees.
Also serving on a variety of committees, Carroll was selected to be a representative on the NCAA Division III Financial Aid Committee this past year.
He has taken pride in implementing numerous leadership programs and initiatives at Morrisville State that have carried over to the conference level, including Game Day the DIII Way, Leadership Academy, Mind of the Athlete, and De-Escalation Training.
"I'd be remiss without extending thanks to our current athletics department staff, as well as all those that have been with us over the years," Carroll said.
"We've accomplished a great deal, but none of it would have been possible without their hard work and dedication. I will surely miss working hand-in-hand with the team we have in place."
"And then there are our student-athletes. A lot of different things have kept me at Morrisville over the years, not the least of which are the student-athletes. Each year we have asked a little more from them and they have never disappointed. Whether it was related to community service, sportsmanship, academic commitment or athletic excellence, they've never given us anything less than their absolute best."
SUNY Morrisville's curricula are enriched with applied learning and pave the way for opportunity at both the Morrisville and Norwich campuses. An action-oriented, interactive learning lab, the college is a national leader in technology and has been lauded for its exemplary, innovative and effective community service programs.
The college was ranked among the Best Regional Colleges in the North by U.S. News and World Report Best Colleges 2019 issue and was also recognized in the Top Public Schools, Regional Colleges North in the 2019 Best Colleges rankings. For more information about SUNY Morrisville, visit www.morrisville.edu.