Iona College promoted Athletic Director Rick Cole Jr. to the position of Vice President of Athletics Administration. Cole, who is in his fourth year at Iona, was hired back in 2013 as the ninth Athletic Director in Iona history.

“Rick Cole has served with honor and integrity as Director of Athletics at Iona College for almost four years,” Iona College President Dr. Joseph E. Nyre said in the press release. “We are very proud of the direction of the athletic department and look forward to continued academic and athletic success under Rick’s leadership.”

Cole has helped Iona’s athletic department revenue generation and fundraising numbers go up.

“I am thrilled to be able to continue to position our student-athletes for success in competition, in the classroom, in the community and in life,” Cole said in a press release. “President Nyre has played a pivotal role in our accomplishments and we look forward to continued support from the College and the Iona community.”

The Gaels proudly represented the school in the last four years, and earned a number of championships and accolades in many programs. Iona boasts 13 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference championships since Cole took the helm. Men’s Cross Country was able to win its 26th straight MAAC title. Last season, both men’s and women’s basketball programs brought home the gold after winning their respective titles at the Times Union Center in Albany.

Cole also helped with the enhancement of the student-athlete experience at the college. Various projects like the renovations made in Hynes East, hosting events like “Meet the Coaches” and “First Pitch Dinner” all contributed to Cole’s success at Iona.

Cole joined the Gaels after spending time as an athletics administrator at schools like Dowling College, where he helped establish a women’s soccer, women’s lacrosse, and cross country team. Prior to Dowling College, Cole served as the Senior Associate Athletic Director at St. John’s University, the Associate Athletic Director for External Affairs at Stony Brook University, and the Assistant Director of Marketing at the University at Buffalo, from which he graduated in 1992 with a Bachelor’s and a Master’s in Education in 1994.