Sports

New Athletic Director Comes to Regis College from a Hockey Past

Rob Riley comes to Weston from a stint as a regional scout for the National Hockey League, according to the Boston Globe.

Rob Riley is bringing his decades of coaching and administrative experience, as well as a championship background in hockey, to Regis College where he became the college's new athletic director in late 2012.

Riley, a Needham resident, replaced former AD Marybeth Lamb who moved on to a position with Bridgewater State University, according to the Boston Globe.

"This is a very exciting time for Regis, and I look forward to working closely with the administration, faculty, and staff to enhance the overall experience of every student-athlete," Riley said in a press release. "My leadership history will enable me to manage, motivate and mentor the coaching staff, and their athletes as we strive for excellence academically, athletically and within the Regis community."

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Regis Vice President Paul Vaccaro told the Globe that about 100 candidates came forward for the position, and the list had been narrowed down to eight when Riley was selected.

"... what swung it for me was that Rob really understood the big picture and the role of athletics at a Division 3 school," Vaccaro told the Globe.

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Regis College does not currently have men's or women's hockey teams, but Riley told the Globe that his father, the coach of the 1960 gold medal U.S. Olympic hockey team, has asked him about bringing the sport to Regis.

"It’s a fair question, and the fair answer is that we need to focus on improving what we have,” Riley explained.

Regis College was founded in 1927 and operated as a women's college until 2007, when it enrolled its first co-educational class, according to the website.

For more on Riley's background and hiring, check out the story at BostonGlobe.com.


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