Department of Athletics hires new sports information director

NEW PALTZ — The Department of Athletics at SUNY New Paltz has hired Mike Salerno as its new sports information director. Salerno brings to New Paltz an extensive background in sports information to help expand the coverage of all sports programs on and off campus.

During a time of dramatic change and development within New Paltz athletics, with the construction of the new 57,000-square foot Athletic/Wellness Center scheduled to begin this fall, Salerno is excited to help promote the Hawks.

“There is a lot of progress being made at SUNY New Paltz,” said Salerno. ” Not just in the athletics department, but throughout the campus community — to be a part of that is exciting.”

Previously, Salerno was the director of sports information at Connecticut College in New London, Conn., where he developed and directed media relations for the school’s 28 varsity sports. New Paltz’s Director of Athletics Stuart Robinson said that it was Salerno’s experience and success with the promotion of the Connecticut College athletic program that made him the top candidate at New Paltz.

“He stepped into a site that did not have a sports information director and put Connecticut College on the map,” said Robinson. “He has experience and creativity to bring to this position.”

“This is an exciting time for us. The image of the department on campus, as well as to the external community, is important. Having someone with Mike’s experience integrated within that is something we look forward to.”

Salerno’s immediate goals are to establish and foster a strong working relationship with the local media, to develop recruiting brochures for each varsity sports program and to increase the awareness of athletic contests on and off campus.

“I think this is a department that’s on its way to doing a lot of positive things, and that’s something that I’m looking forward to being a part of,” Salerno said.

Salerno received a bachelor of arts in communications, with a concentration in media and a minor in journalism, from Western Connecticut State University in Danbury, Conn., in 1995. He has additional experience with television broadcasting, working for both Pheonix Communications Group in South Hackensack, N.J., and ESPN in Bristol, Conn., as well as with radio broadcasting at WLAD–800 AM, Danbury, Conn. and WXCI–FM, Danbury, Conn.

For more information about Mike Salerno and the Department of Athletics at SUNY New Paltz, contact the Director of Athletics Stuart Robinson at (845) 257-3910.