Damore retires as SUNYAC head

Beginning next fall, for the first time in 33 years, the State University of New York Athletic Conference will feature a new figure at its helm.

Commissioner Patrick R. Damore, who has held the position since 1979, announced last week that he will retire at the end of his current contract, which expires June 30, 2012.

"It has been a great honor to serve the SUNYAC Conference membership during my time as commissioner," Damore told SUNYAC officials. "After spending over three decades with the conference it will be hard to move on, but the league-wide leadership is as strong as it has ever been.

"I would like to thank the presidents of our institutions and all of the athletic administrators on our campuses for this wonderful opportunity that I was provided."

A replacement is yet to be determined, but assistant commissioner Janelle Fuez said that there is a replacement procedure in the SUNYAC handbook for when someone leaves their post.

Fuez said that the SUNYAC office reports to the athletic director from each institution in the conference. The athletic directors then work together to comprise a search committee. From there, they meet with interested candidates, and the top three or four are selected to present themselves and be interviewed in front of an entire governing body, which consists of two or three representatives from each institution. Then, a replacement is selected.

Based on Damore's accomplishments as head of the conference, replacing him won't be an easy task.

"The SUNYAC exists because of him, really," said Buffalo State assistant athletic director Jeff Ventura. "He's been the commissioner for so long and every real decision guiding the conference has come from him. His passion was for running this conference."

During his tenure as commissioner of the SUNYAC, Damore has overseen the crowning of 591 SUNYAC champions. He's also witnessed 29 SUNYAC teams win national championships and has seen numerous student-athletes dubbed as Capital One academic All-Americans, Woman of the Year finalists and regional and national athletes of the year.

Damore oversaw the introduction of women's sports programs to the conference, which celebrated their 25th anniversary as part of the SUNYAC in 2009. He also instituted women's lacrosse into the conference while reinstating field hockey and men's lacrosse.

Revered by his peers for his strong leadership, Damore has held leadership positions for many years. In addition to being president of the Intercollegiate Soccer Association of America, he was president of both the NCAA Division II and III College Division Commissioners Association.

"(Damore) does the job for the love of it and for the student-athletes," Fuez said. "He's a good leader. I don't think anybody would do a job for 33 years if they didn't love it.

"He does the job for all the right reasons. He's a really good mentor and his leadership and high standards for what the SUNYAC can be are admirable."

Ventura echoed those sentiments.

"His background is as a leader," he said. "He created a conference that is one of the more well-respected conferences in the country and one of the more stable conferences in the country. A lot of people from other conferences have looked to him for how he's made the conference so successful."

Damore's intangibles as a leader stem from the 36 years he spent with the United States Navy, from 1947 to 1983. Upon his retirement from the service, he was awarded the Naval Commendation Medal.

He received his share of accolades while running the conference, including the NCAA Division III Commissioner's Association Meritorious Service Award, the SUNYAC Distinguished Service Award, the Bill Jeffries Award for contribution to national collegiate soccer and the ECAC James Lynah Award for distinguished achievement.

The Oswego native earned a bachelor's degree in health and physical education from SUNY Brockport, a master's in secondary school administration from St. Lawrence University and a doctorate in higher education from the University of Oklahoma.

"There is never a perfect time to make such an important decision," Damore said. "And after serving 50 years as an athletic administrator, I will have more time to spend with my family and pursue other interests."

Tom Gallagher can be reached by email at gallagher.record@live.com.