Information Provided By Saint Anselm Sports Information


Manchester, N.H. -- After 35 years as a coach and administrator with Saint Anselm athletics, Ed Cannon will step down as athletics director and join College Advancement as a special fundraiser for athletics. Drew Litz, associate dean of students, will serve as interim director while a search for Ed's replacement is conducted. The transition will occur July 1.

"The college is extremely grateful to Ed for his many years of service, during which he broke records as the men's soccer coach, guided the growth of varsity sports, and oversaw the construction of new facilities," says Father Jonathan DeFelice, O.S.B., president of Saint Anselm. "Ed has made indelible contributions to every facet of the College's athletics program. Perhaps most important are the enduring relationships he developed with athletes as he instilled in them what it means to be a successful student-athlete at Saint Anselm College."

"It has been my privilege to serve this college as athletics director and coach," says Ed Cannon. "I am grateful to the college for the many wonderful opportunities I have enjoyed over the years and to the outstanding athletes, coaches and colleagues with whom it has been my privilege and joy to work. As I move to College Advancement, I intend to support the athletics program in a new way by helping to provide the means to sustain and develop inter-collegiate sports at Saint Anselm."

Ed joined the college in 1974 as assistant coach of the men's soccer team, after attending the Worcester Polytechnic Institute where he was a two-time All American soccer player and is a charter member of the Hall of Fame.

The following year, he became head soccer coach and started amassing the record of the most wins for any coach in Hawks history. Before he stepped down in 2004, he led his teams to a remarkable 272 victories. His teams captured six regular-season Northeast-10 titles, six Northeast-10 Tournament championships, and two ECAC Division II championships. He was named as the Northeast-10 Conference Coach of the Year six times, and in three of his last four seasons the program ranked among the top 25 Division II programs in the nation.

Ed became Saint Anselm's eighth director of athletics in 2000. Prior to that, and while building his incredible coaching record, he had served as assistant athletics director for 22 years and then associate director.

During his tenure, the number of varsity sports at the college swelled to 20, with more than 400 students wearing the Hawks jersey every year. He presided over an unprecedented growth and improvement of Saint Anselm's athletic facilities, including the renovation of Sullivan Park into one of the finest college baseball fields in New England, the construction of Sullivan Arena for men's and women's hockey, and the development of Grappone Stadium for the return of Hawks football.

He also has served college athletics on a larger scale, serving twice on both the NCAA Division II Men's Soccer Rules Committee and the NCAA Men's Soccer Championships Committee.

"Ed will be missed as a leader and mentor for Saint Anselm athletes," says Joseph Horton, vice president of student affairs. "But we look forward to benefitting from his service and experience in a different way. As the Advancement Gift Officer in charge of raising money for athletics, he will provide new and vital support to the program he helped create."