John Quattrocchi has spent much of his life coaching basketball, but he always thought he might want to do something else in the sports world. His something else has arrived as the head of SUNY Adirondacks athletics department.

Quattrocchi, 62, started this fall as the schools athletic director. He replaced Darla Belevich, who retired from the position at the end of the last academic year after serving as AD for 11 years.

Quattrocchi, a member of the University at Albany Athletic Hall of Fame, is best known for his 20-year stint as mens basketball coach at Skidmore College. After that, he became the area director of National Scouting Report Upstate New York Region. But he moved away from that and was excited over the prospect of the AD job at SUNY Adirondack.

Ive been in tune with the school, Quattrocchi said. I was born and raised in Fort Edward, was around when the campus started in 61. I thought this is a wonderful opportunity for me at this stage in my life ... to energize and work with a whole new group of professionals. I really find that invigorating. Its a new thing for me. And I guess I missed being around student-athletes and watching them.

Quattrocchi wants to do his part, but one external part that may help him and the athletic department is the 400-bed dorm being built that should be ready by the fall of 2013.

There will be 400 people who want to have an outlet, and I want sports to be one for them, Quattrocchi said.

What I would like to see is all our athletic teams be competitive and to mentor coaches. Not tell them how to coach theyre certainly all very capable professionals. But how I think they can increase their recruiting base and work on retention of athletes. And thats a challenge within a budget. And let me say Darla did a wonderful job with limited resources.

Quattrocchi envisions the number of sports staying the same at the school, but noted he is trying to improve things that dont cost money, like the staff helping each other out even more than it does presently. He is also encouraging fundraising.

Quattrocchi said the administration has been very supportive so far and that he is looking forward to trying to enhance the visibility of SUNY Adirondacks athletic program. At some point, he would like to try to bring the finals of an NJCAA Division III tournament here.

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Quattrocchi enjoying new AD post at SUNY Adirondack