WEST HAVEN, Conn. - New Haven has announced the appointment of Duane Bailey as Associate Vice President, Director of Athletics and Recreation. Bailey, who will assume his role at the university on June 19, is currently Director of Athletics and Recreational Services at New York Institute of Technology.

"Duane has distinguished himself throughout his career as a strategic leader with an uncompromising commitment to student development," said Walter Caffey, vice president for enrollment management at the University of New Haven. "He not only has extensive experience as the head athletics administrator on numerous capital projects, but also has a proven track record of establishing critical relationships and partnerships both within and outside of the organizations he's worked with."

In two years at NYIT, Bailey, who becomes the fifth Director of Athletics at New Haven, rebuilt a leadership structure that focused on the enhancement of the student-athlete experience with the overall goal of developing student athletes both academically and athletically while preparing them to be successful beyond their collegiate athletic careers.

During his tenure with the Bears, five NYIT Athletics teams have advanced to NCAA postseason tournaments with three of those teams advancing to the round of eight and two more to the round of 16. As a department, the Bears experienced one of the highest jumps in Learfield Directors Cup history moving up 75 spots from 135th to a current standing of 60th.

The overall athletic success under Bailey's leadership includes five coaches winning Coach of the Year honors, two teams winning conference championships, 37 athletes earning conference accolades including eight Player of the Year honors in their respective sports and eight athletes earning All-America distinction.

Additionally, Bailey instituted a number of new events to honor both current and former student-athletes. In addition to the annual SAAC Student-Athlete Awards Banquet, NYIT held its first Men's and Women's Basketball Tip-Off Dinner and its first Lacrosse Face-Off Luncheon as a way to celebrate the considerable achievements of the respective teams. In addition, NYIT reinstituted its Athletics Hall of Fame induction ceremony in conjunction with its annual golf tournament at the historic Muttontown Country Club.

Much of the success under Bailey's leadership can be attributed to the transformational work that began immediately upon his arrival at NYIT. Over his tenure, critical partnerships were formed with Under Armour, Powerade and the New York Sports Club. He also created the Bears Sports Network and Bears Athletic Fund which serves as the primary fundraising arm for the department of athletics.

Prior to NYIT, Bailey spent seven years at Seton Hall as Deputy Director of Athletics where he oversaw all internal operations of the athletic department and had oversight of several sports. Prior to that, he served as associate commissioner and chief financial officer of the Atlantic-10 Conference. He began his professional career in the National Football League, spending 10 years working first for the league's management council and later for the Kansas City Chiefs, managing the team's salary cap, contract negotiations, and football administration.

Additionally, he has served as an adjunct professor of sports management at Adelphi University and held leadership positions in finance, public relations, and marketing with the United States Tennis Association, the New York Mets, Cablevision Systems Corporation, and CA Technologies.

Bailey is active both nationally and internationally serving on various governing bodies of sports including the board of directors for the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA), US Lacrosse, and the USA Bobsled and Skeleton Federation. He is also a past member of the US Tennis Associations' Collegiate Varsity Committee and a two-time participant of the Division IA Athletics Directors' Association Athletic Directors Institute.

A graduate of St. John's University with a degree in finance, Bailey also received a master's degree in athletic administration from Adelphi University, and a M.B.A. in management and administration from LIU Post.

Information for this release provided by the athletic communications staff at New Haven

ABOUT THE NE10
The NE10 is an association of 15 diverse institutions serving student-athletes across 24 NCAA Division II sports. Together we build brilliant futures by embracing the journey of every student-athlete. 

Each year, 4,500 student-athletes compete in conference championships, making the NE10 the largest DII conference in the country in terms of sport sponsorship. Leading the way in the classroom, on the field and within the community, the NE10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.