In this episode Bill Fusco discusses his recent decision to retire after 20 years as Sonoma State’s director of athletics. Bill also reflects on his athletics career that includes time at NCAA Division I and II as well as NAIA institutions. Of particular interest are his thoughts and experiences dealing with union environments for coaching positions at Sonoma State.
Biography
Bill Fusco, Senior Director of Intercollegiate Athletics at Sonoma State University, has announced that he will officially retire from his position on December 31, 2017 following 20 years at the helm of the Seawolves.
Fusco was named Director of Athletics at Sonoma State University in May of 1997 and guided the program into the era of athletic scholarships and the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA). During his tenure, the Seawolves earned two NCAA Division II national championships (men’s soccer 2002 and men’s golf 2009), eight regional championships and 20 conference championships. 76 student-athletes earned All-American honors the past 20 years.
Under Fusco’s leadership, the department, as part of the Administration & Finance Division, acquired funding for many on-campus sports facility upgrades including tennis, soccer, baseball, softball, a women’s sports team room and most recently, $1.1 million for new seating in The Wolves’ Den. The new Gordon Smith Training Center, an indoor batting cage and locker room facility for the baseball team was funded by a $1.3 million gift to the program.
In 2016, Fusco was named as the Under Armour Athletic Director of the Year by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA). He was one of only 28 leaders from across the country to be recognized, and only one of four from the NCAA Division II classification.
With over 36 years of combined athletic administrative experience, Fusco has served as Director of Athletics at the University of San Francisco and Dominican University of California and as Sports Information Director at St. Mary’s College in Moraga and the University of San Francisco. He previously was an adjunct faculty member in the University of San Francisco Graduate Sports Management Program where he taught an elective class titled Administrative Leadership in Intercollegiate Athletics. During his tenure as Director of Athletics at Dominican University, he was named NAIA West Region Administrator of the Year in both 1995-96 and 1996-97.
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