New Director of Athletics Named

“An athletic director’s job at a Division I institution is a rare opportunity, and to have that opportunity at a place that you feel so strongly about makes it even more special,” says new director Drew Marrochello, who has been at BU since 2005. Photo by Jackie Ricciardi

Drew Marrochello, who has been acting as the University’s interim director of athletics since July, when former director Michael Lynch stepped down, has been named the new head of BU athletics. Marrochello joined BU in 2005 as associate athletic director for internal affairs. He was promoted to deputy director of athletics, a position he has held for the past seven years.

“Drew has a thorough understanding of college sports and is well known and respected in intercollegiate athletics,” says Todd Klipp, senior vice president, senior counsel, and secretary of the Board of Trustees. “He is very thoughtful, articulate, ethical, and hardworking. He understands and is committed to BU’s institutional priorities—we are first and foremost an academic institution. Drew believes, as I do, that our student-athletes can be excellent students and good community citizens while at the same time excelling in their chosen sport.”

The promotion of Marrochello received strong support from the coaching staff, colleagues in the athletics department, deans, faculty, and University administrators, Klipp says.

Marrochello, who was raised in nearby Arlington, Mass., says he was thrilled to learn of his appointment. “Honored may be an overused word, but when you take into account that I was a kid who grew up watching the Boston Breakers play on Nickerson Field and going to BU-BC hockey games, taking over this role is truly an honor,” he says. “I think I’m in a unique position, because I’ve been part of the BU community for nine years, so I already feel at home within the department and the University. An athletic director’s job at a Division I institution is a rare opportunity, and to have that opportunity at a place that you feel so strongly about makes it even more special.”

As deputy director, Marrochello was the chief operating officer for the department, overseeing day-to-day operations, the two dozen varsity sports programs, and a $25 million budget. He managed the business office, marketing and communications, facilities, game operations, and equipment services. He also coordinated events such as the biennial BU-Cornell Red Hot Hockey game at Madison Square Garden, was responsible for the department’s revenue generation, such as ticketing and fundraising, and served as the point person for construction and renovation projects, among them New Balance Field and the installation of FieldTurf and a track at Nickerson Field. He also was the liaison for Agganis Arena, Risk Management, the Dean of Students, and the BU Athletic Hall of Fame.

But Marrochello says his favorite part of the job was working directly with student-athletes and coaches. He supervised women’s crew, men’s and women’s lacrosse, women’s soccer, softball, and men’s and women’s tennis, which meant he managed more than 50 coaches and staff. He spearheaded the search for six major head coaches, including men’s ice hockey and men’s and women’s basketball. He is cochair of the NCAA Division I Women’s Soccer Committee and the Mid-Atlantic Regional Advisory Committee.

As program director, Marrochello will now “be the public face of the department and responsible for all internal and external matters, including alumni, donor, and public relations,” Klipp says. “He will represent BU with the NCAA, the Patriot League, and Hockey East, and serve as the department’s liaison with the academic and administrative leadership of the University as well as the Board of Trustees Athletics Committee.”

In his new role, Marrochello will oversee a department building on last year’s successful season. BU secured postseason victories in women’s soccer and softball, placing fourth among Division I-AAA members and 79th overall in the 2013-14 Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup Division I Standings. The Terriers earned a total of 259.50 points in the standings—BU’s best performance since tallying 305.80 points (68th) in 2009.

But Marrochello isn’t about to rest on any laurels. “Athletically, my goal is for BU to be viewed as the best non-football-playing Division I school in the nation,” he says. “I truly believe that this can be accomplished without sacrificing any values or principles, and certainly can be accomplished while upholding the academic standards and mission of the University.”

He also wants to see his athletes become more visible on campus. “We are going to work on being integrated with the campus, not isolated from the general community,” he says. “Dean of Students Kenn Elmore (SED’87) and I recently told our student-athletes that we want them to experience the campus, to be part of it. They came here for a lot of different reasons—the coach, the team, academics—but also because they loved the campus and the dynamics. I am really intent on making sure that the athletes are part of BU’s fabric.”

Marrochello has been involved in college athletics for more than 25 years, as athlete, coach, and administrator. He earned a bachelor’s degree in government in 1991 from Wesleyan University, where he played four seasons of varsity football and was captain senior year. He earned a master’s degree in education administration from the University at Albany, SUNY, and coached football for three years at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and for two years at Union College. Before coming to BU in August 2005, Marrochello worked for eight years as athletic director at Hudson Valley Community College.